Written in the Stars
by Mystic Lady Fae
Summary: Alandra has been given a task by Aslan: become Caspian's friend and confidant from the start of his reign, and beyond. In her efforts to obey the Lion, Ali will have her hands full going from 21st century girl to Narnia's newest resident.
1. Out of Time and Place

Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to **_The Chronicles of Narnia_**. Only original characters and such belong to me.

AN: Hi! With this story, I have officially joined the **_Narnia_** section of the site. It's been a while since I've ventured outside my comfort zones, so here is my latest story attempt. The lead female character is Alandra_ (AH-LAND-RAH)_, and I hope you like her. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 1: Out of Time and Place:**

"Seriously, Alandra," teased Melanie, one of my friends. "What century do you live in?"

I shrugged. It was the same old joke, and as always, Alex rolled his eyes and answered, "She's from the 18th century, Mel. You know that!"

The others around me laughed, and as always, all I wanted to do was get away. Unfortunately, I couldn't, not without being rude, so I took a drink of my soda and tried to focus on the movie we were watching.

Alex grinned and gave my shoulder a playful punch. "You've really got to get with the times, Ali," he said, taking a sip of his beer. "You're 25, and don't even own a cell phone! I know you've got a computer, since you chat with us when you aren't at work, but you need a phone to keep in touch with everybody!"

It was another old argument between me and my friends –they always asked how they could get in touch with me when I didn't have a cell phone? The ironic thing was, _I_ wasn't the problem, not when I constantly shelled out e-mails, asking if they could get together for one weekend or another, and never got a reply. Seriously, what was the point in having a Smartphone when you never even answered an e-mail or voicemail message from your friends?

"Yeah, like you guys ever answer _your_ phones," I blurted out angrily, both frustrated and hurt by their jokes. "I call you, leave messages and e-mail, and I don't get a reply for over a week! How would my having a phone make it easier, especially when it takes nearly three weeks for us to plan getting together for lunch?"

Some of them looked offended, as though this were _my_ fault. "We're busy," Mel said, scowling.

I snorted. "Yeah, well, weren't _you_ the one who said that's what cell phones were for, keeping in touch? I'm busy, too, but I still find time to check e-mail and my answering machine."

Sherry glared at me. "You only have time for that because you don't have much of a social life. You don't go out dancing, clubbing, or drinking with us. You just want to go to movies, or stay in and watch DVDs. And when you _aren't_ watching movies, you're always reading books. Why not get an e-reader? It's so much better than a book."

"I don't like clubbing, I can't and don't dance, and I only drink when I feel like it, which isn't often," I retorted. "And I like books, _real_ books made with paper and ink. E-readers have to be recharged; physical books don't."

They all sighed and shook their heads. I could almost hear their thoughts: they thought I was old-fashioned, and that I needed to "get with it."

Angry, I got up from the couch, put my empty glass on a side table, and brushed myself off. "Fine. You think I'm boring, I'm out of here."

Sherry and Alex protested, but it was half-hearted, at least in my ears. I grabbed my purse and left, slamming the front door of Mel's house behind me. I didn't care that I had left my ride home behind –since I didn't own a car, I tended to over-plan when it came to nights out at Mel's house, particularly when drinking was involved. Thus, I was always prepared and had a backup plan.

Stalking to the fancy hotel nearby, I pasted on a smile and approached the concierge. "Excuse me," I said politely, smiling all the while. "I'm afraid I need a cab. I don't suppose you could…"

The man behind the desk smiled, obviously appreciative of my asking nicely, rather than demanding something. "Of course, Miss. We actually have one cab company we frequently use, and someone should be here in ten minutes."

I smiled my thanks at him and pressed a couple bucks into his palm in gratitude for his help.

* * *

By the time I got home, my anger had cooled, and I wasn't surprised to find a few messages waiting on my answering machine. There would probably be e-mails, too, but those could wait. I was drained, emotionally and mentally, and really in no mood to answer any kind of apologies from them.

I changed into my pajamas and collapsed on the couch, turning on my television for some background noise as I opened a book. My mind, however, wasn't on the pages in front of me.

'_So what if I like books and movies_? _They're better than waking up with a monster hangover, or staying up all night and being a zombie when I've got to get to work on Monday_.'

My friends thought it was dumb of me to not have a cell phone, but really, I didn't want to be someone who talked loudly in a library, or had my phone go off during a movie or a ballet. I definitely didn't want to be the person with their thumbs glued to the keyboard of their phone, texting as I walked or during conversations with people next to me. I just didn't like technology, and could do just find with the bare minimum of it.

I scanned my apartment. There was a computer in the corner, close to the TV, and a phone in the kitchen, as well as in my room, both of which had caller ID for me to see who was calling. I had a DVD player, and that was all I needed, really. Why couldn't my friends understand that?

'_Maybe it's time for me to cut my losses_,' I wondered, not for the first time.

This wasn't the first time my friends had hurt me like this, and probably wouldn't be the last. Sure, they were fun to be around, but no one likes to be picked on, even if it is by friends.

'_But it is nice to have people to be around, once in a while_.' And yet, it was nice to have time alone, too. Jeez, why couldn't I figure out what I wanted in life?

Sighing, I picked up my book, one of _The Chronicles of Narnia_ series. I had all of them, and had read each book several times, with the '_The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_' being my favorite. Not for the first time, I wondered why I hadn't been born back in simpler times, like the 1800s.

"Okay, so the lack of indoor plumbing, hygiene, and modern medicine would be annoying, but still!" I mumbled to myself.

I had always been somewhat obsessed with Jane Austen and her time period, as well as earlier ones. I frequently watched history movies and documentaries, and often pretended that I lived in a time of elegance and royalty, where men were chivalrous, and women wore lovely gowns in a far simpler time.

Cheesy as it sounds, it felt like I'd been born in the century. Technology didn't really have much appeal to me –not the newest cell phones or computers, or even iPods. Well, I had an iPod, but only because I needed something to listen to on the bus to work.

'_It's like I'm living in this world, but only partially. I mean, I know this is when I was born, but sometimes I feel like I'm living a half-life in a place that doesn't seem to fit who I am_.'

Whoa, that's a bit deep for me, particularly on a weekend. It was true, but that didn't mean it was a good idea to go that deep and depressing.

"I need chocolate," I muttered, heading to the tiny kitchen and the fridge.

Yup, chocolate and a book –what could possibly be better?

* * *

After a restless night, I was extremely glad that it was the weekend and I could sleep in. Since I still didn't feel like checking either my answering machine or my e-mail, I went online and checked movie times, intent on having a nice day to myself. My sack-like leather purse held food, a bottle of water, and other things I always snuck into the theater –man, did I hate paying those ridiculous prices for food!

I was on my way out when I tripped on a box left at my front door, nearly killing myself in the process. What the…?

Picking up the package, I took it inside and was confused to see the return address. It was from a cell phone company. The address was mine, but why would they send me something I hadn't ordered?

Whipping out my pocket knife, I flipped it open and cut through the tape, tossing aside the packing peanuts to see what was buried in there. When I found what I was searching for, I groaned at the sight. It was a cell phone, and with it was a note. It was from Melanie, who happened to work at a local cell phone store; she probably thought she was doing me a favor in getting this for me. It figures that she would do this to me.

Tossing it back in the shipping box, I decided to forget it until later. I had a movie to get to, and no time for this.

* * *

For a few hours, I was able to forget my problems. A movie, a quick bite to eat at a quaint Italian place, and I felt almost like myself.

Unfortunately, I had to get home and get ready for work. Ick.

It was only half a mile back to my place, so I wasn't worried about making it there on my own. I should have, though. If I'd been more aware, I'd have seen or heard the car speeding towards me.

That didn't happen. Instead, as I made my way out into the crosswalk, I felt a huge object hit me, followed by a wave of pain and disbelief.

Then the world went black, and I lost consciousness.

* * *

When I woke, I knew I had to be dreaming, or at least hallucinating. Perhaps it was the drugs the doctors were giving me, because I had just been in a terrible accident and someone must have called for help.

Still, it wasn't a _bad_ hallucination. I stood in a meadow in the middle of a beautiful forest, with clear streams flowing musically near me. One stream was to my left, but I could hear others nearby. Birds called from trees, their songs mixing perfectly with the water that cascaded over stones and into pools. The air was warm, but not overly so –in fact, it was just perfect.

"Maybe I'm dead," I pondered aloud.

"No, you are not dead," said a deep, majestic voice to my right. "You are merely in the realm between life and death, which is why I was able to bring you here so easily."

Swallowing hard, I turned. "Oh, boy," I muttered at the sight that greeted me. "I _have_ to be hallucinating, because this is _not_ happening."

There was a lion, but it was clear that it wasn't _just_ a lion. When it came to the aura of power, benevolence, and mere _presence_ that this animal was radiating, there was only one lion that came to mind.

Shaking, I tentatively asked, "Aslan?"

The great Lion chuckled, a warm sound that reached my very heart and comforted it. "Very good, Alandra," he said, coming to stand on my right. "Welcome to my Country."

"You know my name!" I gasped, wondering if I should feel honored or worried.

"Of course," he replied, smiling kindly at me. "Now, come take a small walk with me. I have something I wish to speak to you about."

It felt like a stone had dropped into my stomach. "Have I done something wrong?" I asked, beginning to panic.

He chuckled. "No, you have not. Come, walk with me."

I trailed along behind as he began to lead me into the forest, his paws neither bending nor breaking a single blade of grass, which lay like a thick carpet beneath my feet. I clasped my hands behind my back as I walked, since I was so nervous I didn't know what else to do with them.

In the back of my head, I could only wonder why this was happening to me, of all people. I mean, here I was in a mythical land straight out of one of the greatest book series in history, with the great Aslan himself! It was either a dream come true, or a nightmare…and I was now waiting for the much anticipated shoe to drop.

"I have a task for you, Alandra," Aslan began, immediately catching my interest. "But let me start at the beginning."

We walked beneath the shade of the trees, into the cooler the air they created.

"Throughout history, some people have been born in the wrong time, and in the wrong place," he began in a kind voice that calmed my internal chaotic emotions. "You are one of these. You feel as though you do not belong where you are, that your spirit and very being was meant for a different era, or even a different world, than the one in which you were born."

I swallowed. How could he know that? Okay, I _knew_ how he could know that, but still!

Aslan chuckled. "I also know that you have read the tales of Narnia, and that you know what you _think_ is meant to happen."

I stared at him. "What I _think_ is meant to happen?" I blurted out, confused as well as surprised. "Do you mean that C. S. Lewis got something wrong in the books?"

I stopped to think things out a bit. "Wait a minute. The books were written and published during the 1950s! Plus, it's a fictional book, so none of it is, or was, real."

Aslan smiled. "The things Lewis wrote in his books were what _I_ gave him in his dreams, and were of what I wished to happen in Narnia. But when he wrote them on paper, Lewis changed things he did not agree with –he thought it was all something from his own mind, from his own imagination, and never suspected I was channeling the stories to him. I did not correct his changes, for it is not my way to interfere in such a manner unless it is absolutely necessary."

He smiled. "I also knew that, if necessary, things could be changed if the right person were called upon to do so."

We passed from the shade into a quaint little glen, with a small stream flowing through it and several fruit trees growing nearby. He motioned for me to sit on a nearby stone, and told me to eat if I was hungry. I helped myself to a single orange –it wouldn't be a good idea to be greedy in front of Aslan.

As he settled beside the stone I had taken a perch on, Aslan continued, "I have told you all this because, though it might be difficult for you to believe, Narnia had not yet existed when Lewis wrote his first book. I sang it into being long after his final text was completed, and as such, what you consider the distant past has only recently happened."

I must have looked confused, because he sighed and closed his great golden eyes. "The power of belief is a very great thing, particularly when it comes to books and their contents. When enough people believed in Narnia and what they _thought_ would happen, it influenced the flow of Narnian history. Had Lewis written down the tales I had given him, and the people of your world believed those words, many events in Narnian history would have been as they _should_. But since he had chosen to change my words, the people of your world believe in what he had written instead, and so they are different to what I wished."

He opened his eyes and looked at me. "As such, after a certain point in what I showed him, the tales that he told must be changed by someone in order for events to follow a certain path, if Narnia is to become as it should be."

I nervously swallowed the bite of orange in my mouth. "So…you want _me_ to fix…whatever needs to be fixed?"

Aslan nodded, his mane shaking gracefully as he did so. "In a word, yes," he replied. "It is not as difficult as some believe to bring someone from one world to another, or to take them across time and space, as long as the right means are used. This is what I have done with you, Alandra."

He crossed his forepaws over one another, filling the air with a wonderful green scent as he moved about on the grass. "When you were injured, it allowed me to bring you here, to a key time in Narnia's history. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy's rule has come and gone, as has the battle for Narnia's freedom from the Telmarines. Presently, Caspian, tenth of that name, is now King, but there will be many hardships that he must face before true peace can come to Narnia."

I managed to consume another mouthful of orange, though I have no idea how I was able to do it. "But what about the search for the Seven Lords, and Caspian's marriage to Ramandu's Daughter? Peace _does_ come after that, at least in the books."

The Lion shook his head. "That is what Lewis _wanted_ to happen, but that is not the way it will be, not without your help. The King's coronation took place twelve days ago, and the Great Kings and Queens have departed, leaving Caspian with a court that was once his uncle's. In the present circumstances, he understandably feels alone, without many he can fully trust, and a country that will take time to unite, unless something, or someone, is able to bring them together under one banner."

He looked deep into my eyes, and I nearly fell off my seat at the intensity of his gaze. "_You_ are going to become Caspian's most trusted friend and confidant, and help him on the path to become a great king, one who will create peace for Narnia and bring the Telmarines and the Narnians together."

"_Me_? " I squeaked, almost dropping the remnants of my orange. "I don't know a thing about being near kings and uniting peoples! You need someone with experience in diplomacy and politics for that. Besides, how will _I_ get close to the King?"

"By becoming an invaluable asset to those closest to him," Aslan calmly replied. "Believe me when I say that you are stronger and wiser than you know."

He then gave me a gentle smile, the gold in his eyes sparkling with kindness and humor. "When you next wake, you will be in Narnia. From the place I set you, go east towards the center of the country, where the Telmarine castle stands. You will find friends along the way –they will help you in this task I have set upon you, though they know it not."

Quivering, I looked helplessly at him. "How will I know if I'm doing things right or wrong? What if I mess things up even worse than you want them to be?"

"I will help you when necessary," he said, comfortingly. "Now, finish your meal, Alandra."

I did so, somehow managing to polish off the orange without choking or throwing it back up.

When I was done, Aslan asked me to sit beside him and run my fingers through is mane, to search for any tangles. I doubted that I'd find a single one, but since this was Aslan, I decided not to argue.

I don't know how long I sat there, running my fingers through strands of brown-gold hair that felt like the purest, softest silk bathed in warm sunlight. It was relaxing, though, and I soon began to feel rather sleepy. Before I knew it, I was nodding off, and Aslan was telling me to go and rest on a bed of moss by the stream.

Knowing that nothing could harm me here in Aslan's Country, I did so. As I closed my eyes, I barely had time to think of how soft the moss was, and how a warm breeze had come up, creating just enough warmth for me to feel happy and safe.

* * *

AN: Well, what do you think? I know, the whole "person-dragged-into-the-story-or-movie" thing has been done before, but I promise to try and do it well, and to put my own spin on it. Please, be kind and review, and try not to flame me after just the first chapter; it will get better as we go, I promise!


	2. Narnia

Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to **_The Chronicles of Narnia_**. Only original characters belong to me.

AN: Here's chapter two. I hope that it doesn't sound too cliché. Enjoy, and please review (kindly).

**Chapter 2: Narnia:**

'_Okay, that had to be the weirdest dream I've ever had_,' was my first thought when I reached consciousness, the sun shining in my eyes.

But as soon as the sound of birdsong reached my ears, I knew that I hadn't dreamt my encounter with Aslan. I may have always been a fan of the _Narnia_ books, but never had I ever dreamt about the Lion from them. And the way he had spoken and looked at me…there was no dreaming something like that!

Waking up, I saw that Aslan had been good as his word, for he had placed me in a forest of some kind. There was a stream nearby, so I carefully got to my feet, dusted off my jeans, and sighed. The ankle boots I had pulled on the day of my accident were comfortable and good enough for a walk along pavement, but hiking through the woods was another story. I'd be lucky if I didn't have blisters the size of baseballs by the time I reached the Telmarine castle.

'_Well, at least I'm partially camouflaged_.' My brown shirt and brown boots fit with the forest just fine, but my jeans didn't. I could only pray that I wouldn't encounter any predators on my journey, or anyone who didn't take kindly to 'outsiders.'

Reaching the stream, I looked at my reflection and winced. Seriously, how was I going to get access to the King of Narnia? Attractive, I was not –not like Queen Susan, who was said to have been very beautiful, and who had been admired by visitors from other nations around Narnia. The best that I could hope for was to become a servant in the castle, and even that would be a long shot.

I paused. I _did_ have Aslan on my side, but even then, he probably wouldn't interfere unless I totally blew it. I'd just have to come up with something on my own, and hope that it was enough. There had to be some way for me to fit in at the castle –I'd just have to hope and pray that I could think of something, or that Aslan would help me when I needed it.

Turning, I almost tripped over something. It was my purse! "Oh, thank goodness," I muttered, bending to search through it.

Everything that I'd had with me on the day of my accident was here. There was a Ziploc bag of beef jerky, some fruit bars, a small bottle of water (unopened), and my pocketknife. Well, at least I wouldn't be completely unarmed while in the forest. There was also my hand sanitizer, a new tin of breath mints, and a bottle of aspirin.

"Not bad," I muttered, flipping it closed and tying it securely shut.

The way I figured, I had enough food for a few days, at most, and enough water for just one day. Hopefully the water in Narnia isn't full of nasty surprises, but considering the water was probably full of nymphs, it was probably safe to drink.

I sighed and gathered my courage as I shouldered my bag. "Well, here goes nothing," I grumbled as I set off.

* * *

Of course, since I had no experience in wilderness survival, it took me a little while to figure out which direction was east. About twenty minutes after I started my journey, I had to stop and keep an eye on the sun and the shadows of the forest around me, to see in which direction the sun was setting, and go in the opposite direction.

After a few hours of traveling, I had to give into my grumbling stomach and eat a bit of jerky, as well as quench my thirst with my water bottle. Fortunately, there was a stream nearby, and since it looked to be a good water source, with fish swimming in a small pond downstream, I topped off the bottle as much as I could, to make up for what I'd already drunk.

I started walking again, and as darkness began to fall, I realized that all I had was a shirt with three-quarter length sleeves, and nothing to keep me warm. It was definitely time to look for shelter, or at least someplace I could safely rest for the night.

I think Aslan might have taken pity on me, because I found a hallowed out area inside of an immense tree trunk. The interior was smooth, as though the walls had been polished, and the floor was soft, springy moss, perfect for bedding. There was just enough room on the ground for me, if I curled up a bit and didn't move around too much.

Since I had no light, and had no idea how to light a fire, I decided to turn in early, using my sack as a pillow. And since I was in the middle of a forest (even if it was a Narnian forest), I kept my pocketknife flipped open and close at hand, just in case. I did not want to end up on the receiving end of an animal attack, or be caught unawares by a Telmarine soldier.

Shivering a little, I fell asleep, wondering how long I would have to travel like this, and hoping that it wouldn't be long until I found a friend, or at least someone who could help me get to the castle.

* * *

When I woke the next morning, it was with a feeling of warmth all around me, and with the scent of ripe cherries in my nose. Since I knew there were no cherry trees near where I was, I was instantly awake, my eyes searching for the source of the wonderful aroma.

To my surprise, there was a blanket of thin, woven vines over me, trapping the heat of my body against me as I slept. It was no wonder I had slept so peacefully and comfortably! A quick glance outside revealed the source of the fruit scent –a small reed basket sat by the entrance of my little hole, and it was filled to the brim with pitted cherries!

If I'd been anywhere else but Narnia, I'd have been instantly suspicious and ran out of here, fearing food poisoning or a trap. But since this was Narnia, I figured that maybe some of the local creatures had left this for me, though I had no idea why –after centuries of being ruled by the Telmarines, they should be weary of humans, rather than helping them.

'_Maybe they now know that Caspian is king, and that he has Aslan's blessing_,' I reasoned, pushing aside my blanket to reach for a cherry and pop it in my mouth.

Oh, it was delicious, and perfectly ripe! I quickly bolted down a small handful as my breakfast, and followed it with some water and a bite of jerky, for protein. Somewhat satisfied, I rummaged around it my bag and was able to find a few empty plastic Ziploc baggies. I could add the rest of the cherries to my food supply, and nibble on them as I walked.

A while later, the cherries were safely tucked away in my bag, and I had washed my hands and face in a nearby stream. My water bottle was filled again, and the blanket I had woken up in was now folded into a shawl and draped over my shoulders; I would hold onto it until it started to dry up and fall apart, then either use it as tinder for a fire or just leave it somewhere for animals to use.

Looking back at the tree stump, I sighed. "I just wish I could thank whoever had left these for me," I muttered, smiling before I turned and continued on my journey.

* * *

The morning went, and just as some hunger pangs began in my stomach, I heard what sounded like a horse screaming out in terror.

Immediately, my blood froze, and my body along with it. Normally, I wasn't a violent person, but if someone or something is in serious trouble, I tried to help as best I could. Besides, I love horses.

Bolting in the direction the screams came from, I almost tripped on a tree root and fell into a clearing, catching myself in time before I went face-down in the dirt. What I saw turned my blood from ice-cold to almost volcanic.

It was a horse, a large stallion, his rear left leg snared in a tangle of vines and branches as it tried to get away from the wolf that had cornered it. A quick glance around told me it was a lone wolf, as there were no others in sight –if there had been others, that horse would be lunch by now.

'_The wolf must have been kicked out of his pack by a better fighter_,' I figured, watching the standoff. It was the only reason I could think of for a wolf to be on his own like this, hunting a horse on his own, which was crazy.

Looking between the two animals, I could see that this was a standoff. The horse had hooves, and even one kick from a foreleg could crush another animal's skull, even a large wolf like this one. If it were a whole wolf pack against the horse, there'd be no contest, but since it was one-on-one, it was hard to tell who would come out alive.

I didn't want to interfere, but part of me remembered what Aslan had said: that I would meet friends along the way on my journey to the castle. Was the horse one of them?

'_If that's the case, I'd better not let this opportunity get away_,' I quickly decided, looking around for something to use as a weapon. I doubted that my pocketknife would do much good against a wolf.

There was a large, sharp stone twice the size of my hand nearby, so I pick it up and griped it tightly while I waited for just the right moment.

It finally came when the wolf began to crouch, a sure sign that it was going in for the kill. Picking up another stone the size of my fist, I threw it at him, missing him by an inch as I yelled, "Hey! Leave him alone!"

I quickly drew my pocketknife, flipping it open as the wolf turned in surprise, growling. That was when I realized how incredibly stupid I was. I had no training in fighting or self-defense, and didn't even know how to wield a knife properly. However, after watching so many action movies (particularly ones with sword battles), I kept my knees bent and my legs a shoulder-length apart, so that I could move easier.

'_And after dodging all those cars and buses in my world, my reflexes aren't **too** bad_.' They weren't good either, but they weren't terrible.

Seeing me motionless, the wolf snapped at me, apparently trying to scare me off. '_No way am I letting you get that horse_,' I thought, glaring at him, weapons raised.

For a tense moment, it was just the two of us, glaring at one another. Even the horse had stopped crying out, its eyes wide as he watched us. When the wolf saw that I wasn't going to run away, he crouched down and leaped, lips pulled back in a snarl that revealed long, sharp fangs and a lot of teeth.

I quickly ducked and dodged to my left, blindly feinting with my knife while the sharp stone was kept up in a defensive position. Spinning, I raised both weapons up and crouched, ready in case the wolf tried to leap again.

However, instead of seeing him ready to tear my face off with his teeth, the wolf was focused on his right foreleg, which hung limply as he stood looking at it. I couldn't be sure if he was tricking me or not, but from the amount of blood oozing from the wound, it was clearly bad.

Gripping my weapons, I waited patiently to see what he would do next. It wasn't long before the wolf tried walking, but all he could manage was a limp, which clearly pained him. Finally, he sighed and lay himself down on the ground, glaring at me.

"You win," he said, startling me. "Free the creature and leave me here to die."

I should have fallen over in surprise at hearing a wolf talk to me, but given that I'd seen Aslan, who was a Lion, a talking wolf didn't surprise me as much as it should have. Now, if I ran into a faun or a nymph, _that_ might shock me, but for some reason, this didn't.

Weary, I raised my knife again, just now noticing the blood dripping from the blade. "I don't dare. You might just attack when my back is turned."

I heard the horse snort, "Not if I have anything to say about it." I turned around as he nodded towards his trapped leg. "Quickly, free me, and I will protect you if he moves."

Well, that was an invitation if I ever heard one. I quickly wiped my knife on the grass and backed slowly to the horse, trying to keep one eye on both creatures, just in case. When I reached the horse, I moved so that both animals were in my line of vision as I used the stone and the knife to hack through as much of the greenery as I could. The horse kept his word in keeping an eye on the wolf, one foreleg ready to lash out when necessary.

Working quickly, I sliced through several of the branches and vines, and the horse was finally able to pull his leg free. The flesh was scraped in several places, but not deeply, and the blood was starting to harden and seal the wounds. He would be fine in a few days.

"Thank you, Daughter of Eve," the stallion said, nuzzling me with his nose. "I owe you my life."

Smiling, I patted his nose and stepped back to take a good look at him. He was a gorgeous red in color, with white around the hooves and a smudge that looked like a star on his forehead. Small wonder he was caught like this –the red of his coat stood out beautifully against the green of the forest.

Remembering that I was facing a talking animal, I bowed slightly. "You're quite welcome. I'm Alandra, but most people call me Ali."

The stallion bowed his head in return. "My name is too complicated for humans to pronounce, but you may call me Roan," he said. "It is a pleasure to meet you." He stared at me for a moment. "Forgive me, but it seems that you are rather…lost and out of your element."

I flushed, knowing that my clothes had probably been a dead giveaway. "Well, yes, you could say that," I admitted. "I'm afraid I'm on my way to the King's castle on urgent business, and am not really sure how far away it is from here.

Roan chuckled. "At your traveling speed, it will be some time before you reach your destination. However, I would be more than happy to carry you there and protect you, as I owe you my life." He grew quiet, as though deep in thought. "If you don't mind my saying so, it seems almost as though the great Aslan himself sent you to help me."

There was nothing I could say to that, really, so I decided to avoid the topic of Aslan. "Well, I would be glad for some company. It has been rather eerie traveling on my own like this."

"Excellent," he said, motioning towards his back. "Drape that wrap of yours over my back like a riding blanket and get on. We'll leave at once."

Okay, _that_ was a problem, because I had no idea how to ride a horse. I'd only ridden a horse only once in my life, and that was when I was barely ten years old. Second of all, a blanket was no saddle, and since Roan was a fairly tall horse, I would definitely need a saddle in order to get on his back. I had no doubt that this would not work, and that I would end up walking the rest of my journey.

'_Then again, Roan isn't an ordinary horse, and he would never let me fall off, if he could help it. Besides, riding is faster than walking, and since I've got pain relievers, riding without a saddle should be fine_,' I reasoned with myself.

A sound that was half growl, half whimper caught my attention. Turning, I saw the wolf licking his wound. Part of me was glad he was hurt, but part of me said that the injury I'd caused might kill him.

'_And I don't think Aslan would forgive me if I left a Talking Beast alone and wounded – by **my** hand, no less_! – _in the forest like this_.'

Sighing, I cleaned my knife, but held it ready before turning to face the wolf. "If I help you, will you promise not to attack, or eat, me or Roan?" I asked. "Swear to the great Aslan you won't, and I will help your wound."

The wolf looked at me for a long moment, growling under his breath, but in the end, he relaxed. "I swear to the great Aslan himself that I will not harm either of you, before or after you treat my wound."

That was it. I immediately went to my bag and took out the anti-bacterial gel, and used the knife to cut a couple strips off of my vine blanket in order to use as bandages or to tie whatever makeshift bandages I managed to find and make.

I turned towards Roan. "Is there anything nearby I can use to bind his wound?"

Roan laid his ears back, eyes narrowing in anger. "You are truly going to save him, after what he has done?"

Sighing, I went to stand next to him. "Yes. He's sworn to Aslan that he won't harm us, and I don't want him dying alone here in the forest."

He didn't like it, but Roan did direct me towards some plants that could serve as wrappings. He must have seen me looking at him oddly, because Roan told me that a few Dryad friends had helped treat him once or twice with wounds he'd gotten while escaping predators.

Following his advice, I was able to rub anti-bacterial gel onto the wound, dry it and use some of my vine blanket as both a bandage and binding over the wound, to keep out infection. There were a few times when the wolf snapped at me, but for the most part, it was only in pain, and he was careful to keep those snaps away from my body parts.

When I finished, quite a bit of time had passed, but there was still plenty of traveling time left before dark. Roan promised to carry me until twilight, and after testing his foreleg, the wolf declared that he could keep up with us, hurt or not.

"I, too, owe you my life, Alandra, Daughter of Eve," he grudgingly admitted. "I am Great Fang, but you may call me Fang, as my pack once did."

There was a great deal of pain in his voice as he spoke, and when he saw the sympathy and curiosity in my face, he sighed. "They were killed in the war with the Telmarines. I was the only one to survive."

He regarded me carefully. "But perhaps we can form our own pack, the three of us. Neither the horse nor I have hands, which I admit are useful, but when I am well again, I can provide meat for you while the horse finds you something to graze on in between my kills."

I winced at the idea of skinning my own food, and shook my head. "Thanks, but even if I do adore meat, I'm not one for, um, seeing to freshly killed creatures. You may hunt for yourself, while Roan and I 'graze' for our meals."

Fang shrugged. "If that is what you wish. Now, shall we go, before too much more time passes?"

Roan shook his head, snorting in disbelief. "What an odd herd we make! My own mother would never know me, when I travel in a group such as this!"

"We are a pack, good horse, not a herd," Fang retorted back. "Since two of us eat meat, we are a pack."

Before the two of them ended up fighting each other again, I stood between the two of them with my repacked bag over my shoulder. "Okay, no fighting," I ordered, taking the remains of my blanket and throwing it over Roan's back. "Let's go. Fang, you can run either in front of us or behind, wherever you wish. I'm trusting in you to keep a lookout for any dangers while we travel."

The wolf nodded and made ready to head out as I led Roan to a stump so that I could swing onto his back. He was a very tall horse, and I had a feeling it would take a lot of practice to learn to how to mount him without a saddle, or reins. And speaking of which…

"Roan, I don't mean to insult you, but how am I going to direct you without reins?" I asked, keeping my voice polite.

Roan laughed. "Don't worry, Ali," he replied. "I know where I am going. I was able to attend the King's coronation not long ago, and returned to the Woods as soon as the celebrations were over. In fact, I had only been here a day or two when that wolf found me and tracked me here."

"And a merry chase you led me on, Master Horse," Fang muttered. "If it hadn't been for my grumbling belly, I wouldn't have dared tried to hunt a stubborn mule such as you!"

Both Roan and I laughed as we headed into the woods, our injured guard running along beside us.

* * *

AN: Review?


	3. Travel Companions

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**The Chronicles of Narnia**_ (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: Oh, I'm so glad that people like this story! To thank you, here's chapter three! Thanks so much for reading, and please review.

**Chapter 3: Travel Companions:**

Traveling on horseback was annoying, considering that I was in a forest, traveling over uneven ground with only a blanket across Roan's back as a saddle. What made it even harder was that I was doing so without reins, and it took all of my concentration to stay on Roan's back without falling off and breaking something.

As though the riding wasn't difficult enough, it was also a silent journey, since neither Roan nor Fang made any kind of conversation as we traveled. It was even worse than the family trips I used to take with my parents and younger brother, because I had no iPod to keep me occupied. Needless to say, it wasn't long before I started getting bored, because the only scenery around me was woods, and that got dull pretty darn quick. Even if it was a forest in Narnia, trees all start looking the same after a while, and before long, it felt like my eyes were glazing over.

Fortunately for me, we didn't travel far, due to Fang's injury, and stopped after only an hour or so to give ourselves time to rest. Since Fang was clearly unable to hunt, I fed him one of the biggest strips of jerky from my food supplies.

"I don't have much of it, but hopefully it'll last until your leg heals. Then you can hunt on your own," I told him as he gnawed on the meat. He was too busy eating to reply.

Meanwhile, Roan and I kept our diet vegetarian –he nibbled the grass while I ate my way through the cherries that I had stored, and consumed half of a fruit bar, for variety. To thank him for letting me ride on his back, I pitted a few cherries and gave them to Roan. He found them delicious, and made me promise to pick more the next time we found a cherry tree, though I doubted we'd find one anytime soon.

When all of us were fed and watered, I refilled my water bottle, stored away the remaining food, and stretched. I could feel my legs beginning to ache from riding, but they weren't troublesome yet, so I decided I'd save my aspirin for when I would need it, which would most likely be before bed.

Off we went again, making sure to travel one hour, then rest for a while, for Fang's sake. If I'd been walking, I probably wouldn't have made much progress, but since I was on Roan's back, we were moving much faster, even with a hurt wolf as a traveling companion.

And it wasn't as though Fang were holding us back, either. He was walking pretty well, so I guess his wound was either healing very well, or it wasn't as bad as it appeared to be.

As darkness began to fall, we found a small glade, with a tiny trickling stream nearby, and decided to settle there for the night. I thought about trying to start a fire, but Roan told me that would be a bad idea, as we didn't know if there were any Dryads around, and they did _not_ like fire.

"Right, good point," I said, spreading my blanket on the ground. "Well, I suppose I won't need one, given that it's a warm night."

Actually, it was only _slightly_ warmer than it had been last night, but lucky for me, it was a _large_ blanket. And since I really didn't want to sleep on the bare ground, I decided to spread the blanket out and fold it back over me when I went to sleep, creating a rough sleeping bag.

Fang snorted. "You will look ridiculous, trying to cover yourself that way to keep from being cold. _I_ can keep you warm when you rest tonight, and keep my ears open for danger. You will be fine."

To hide my embarrassment at not thinking of that idea first, I broke out a strip of jerky for Fang, who quickly tore into it while Roan and I finished off the last remnants of the cherries. Roan then went to munch on a nearby patch of clover while I consumed the other half of the fruit bar I had started earlier. After all of the riding I'd done, I was famished, but didn't dare eat much, since there was no other way for me to get more food.

'_I __**really**__ miss grocery stores_,' I thought longingly. There was some money in my bag, but no place to spend it. I would have killed for a sandwich, or even a bag of potato chips.

I suppose I could try and gather something to eat, but if there were Dryads around like Roan said, then I would be taking things that belonged to someone else. That would be theft, and I did not like taking things without permission.

"Ali," Roan said, nudging my shoulder, "I believe there are some nuts growing on that tree, if you would like some."

Nuts weren't a favorite of mine, but I decided to at least take a look. I followed my friend to a tree that, sure enough, had walnuts growing on it.

"I won't be upsetting any Dryads by taking these, will I?" I asked, unsure about the whole thing. "I mean, it seems wrong to take something from a tree without permission, whether or not it belongs to a Dryad."

Roan thought about it for a moment. "I think if you left the seeds from the cherries that you ate at the root of this tree, the Dryads would accept that as payment. After all, those cherries had a Dryad's blessing on them, and thus, they could grow to become the trees in which a Dryad would be born."

My mouth hung open in an "o" shape. It's a good thing I'd saved many of the seeds so far, if they could be used to appease the Dryads.

Quickly, I placed the cherry seeds at the root of the nut tree, and with Roan's help, managed to pluck from the ground one ripe nut for every cherry seed I left at the tree. It seemed a fair trade, since I had a bag full of seeds, and in the end, I ended up with a bag full of nuts, which would be more filling.

Sleep came easily for me –after all, I was completely exhausted, the aspirin I had popped for my legs was working wonders, and I had Fang to keep me nice and toasty while I slept. My stomach still grumbled a bit in hunger, but there was nothing I could do about that until morning.

And yet, in spite of my tummy, I was able to have a blissfully restful night.

* * *

It was quite a bit after dawn when I woke, but not too late, thank goodness! After stretching out, I looked around and saw Roan munching down some grass not far away. Fang, however, was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Fang?" I blurted out, wondering if he'd chosen to desert us.

I feared the worst: that Fang had played us and had gone to fetch his pack, which was probably still alive and well, waiting for a foolish girl like me to fall into their trap. Hey, in Narnia, the animals could be a tricky as humans if they needed to be, especially after millennia of Telmarine rule!

Roan finished his mouthful of grass. "He's gone hunting. He did not want to wake you, but asked if he should bring back something for you to eat, since he heard your belly groaning half the night. I told him that humans did not eat raw meat, and that it would be best for you to eat whatever food you've gathered."

I sighed in relief. "Thank you, Roan. I appreciate it."

He _whuffed_ in reply and went back to his grazing while I helped myself to half of another fruit bar and a handful of nuts, which was surprisingly satisfying. I had just refilled the contents of my water bottle when Fang returned, his muzzle slightly bloody from his hunt.

"Ew," I said, wincing. "Would you mind rinsing off your muzzle in the stream? It's very disconcerting, seeing it smeared with blood."

Fang snorted, but went to oblige me. While he did that, I tossed my blanket over Roan, who stopped grazing and moved towards a nearby stump so that I could mount. He stood perfectly still until I was completely settled on his back, my hands holding onto his mane as we waited for Fang to finish with his little bath.

I laughed as my wolf friend shook the excess water off and licked his muzzle. Even though he was a huge wolf, and could easily bite my face off, I thought he looked adorable all dripping and slightly whiny.

"It isn't funny," Fang muttered, shaking himself off one last time.

Chuckling, I leaned over Roan's neck. "Come on, let's go."

My horse gave a low laugh and kicked off, Fang muttering complaints behind us as he followed.

* * *

Sometimes, it seemed like I was living in a dream, riding a talking horse during the day and having a wolf as a source of heat at night. And instead of things getting more uncomfortable, it got better.

To my surprise, today, our second day together, Roan began a bit of dialogue with me. We talked about the weather at first, then moved on to our families. Apparently Roan had several brothers and sisters, most of whom lived in Archenland, a kingdom to the sound of Narnia. While most of the Narnians had fled to the forests for safety, some had run to Narnia's former ally, Archenland, and sought sanctuary there instead. Roan's herd had done just that, many centuries ago, and had returned once word had spread that the Great Kings and Queens had returned to fight the Telmarines.

"It had taken us days of endless running to make it in time for King Caspian's coronation," Roan said as we traveled. "I was there just in time to see the King enter the city gates with the great rulers of our past."

Excited that he had actually_ seen_ Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, I asked what they looked like, as well as a hundred other questions about them before we stopped for lunch. Roan was more than happy to answer my questions during our meal, and in return asked me several of his own.

For the most part, Fang remained quiet, listening to our conversations. I had tried talking to him, but after being growled at for asking about his family and life, I thought it might be best to keep quiet. Besides, he _was_ a great predator, so I decided that staying on his good side would be a nice idea, too.

After our noon rest, though, Fang began to warm up to me, at least a little. During an afternoon break in our travels, Fang told me a few stories of his life over his meal of jerky, namely how he and his pack had kept safe by moving around, keeping to the forests of Narnia, and traveling as far south as Archenland, and as far north as the realm of the Giants. He even seemed _happy_ talking to me, and probably liked the fact that I didn't chatter at him like I did with Roan, who seemed perfectly happy to hear me talk to him and ask questions.

To my surprise, when we stopped to eat our dinner, Fang told me to save the 'salted, dried meat,' (meaning the jerky) for myself, so that I could have more to eat. It was touching, and I know that hunting caused him pain to hunt his meal, but he insisted.

As we ate our dinner on our second night together, I took an inventory of my food supplies, and knew they wouldn't last much longer. There was enough for one or two full meals -five if I ate at half rations. But there was no knowing of when we would reach the castle, so I had to stretch things as much as possible in between foraging for food.

I decided to hide this from my friends, as I didn't want them having to help me find food for me. If Fang tried to keep me fed, I could look forward to all sorts of different raw, freshly killed animals for supper. Roan would at least be of some help, since he could find nuts, fruits and other vegetation I could eat, but I felt bad at the thought of having to rely on him for food as well as transportation.

"You seem worried, Ali," Roan said, nudging my shoulder as he softly spoke in my ear. "What's wrong?"

Fang snorted. "She's taking stock of her food supplies, you fool! She's trying to see how much she has so that she can make it last until we get to the castle."

Roan sighed and pushed me over with his nose. "Silly girl," he chided me. "Fang and I can find food for you! Actually, it's something I wanted to talk to you about earlier, but did not have a chance to until now."

He gestured towards the trees with his head, and I turned, almost falling over in surprise. There in a large whirlwind of leaves were the forms of three women, their mouths turned upwards in smiles. One of them waved at me, and I knew that I waved back because my hand somehow lifted and moved back and forth without my realizing it. The Dryads giggled, causing me to blush.

"They have been following our progress for some time," Fang explained. "I've seen them as we traveled through the woods."

Roan nodded. "Apparently they have wanted to offer you food, but did not know how to approach you. They feel a sort of calling to help you, since whenever a Son of Adam or a Daughter of Eve arrives in Narnia, the Dryads believe it must be for a good reason."

"When you wake tomorrow, there will be enough food to fill your stomach for two days," one of the Dryads said, her voice eerily echoing in the rustle of the leaves that formed the physical shape of her and her sister Dryad. "We will also treat the wolf's wound with an herbal medicine of our own making."

Fang actually looked grateful for their offer. "For that, I thank you," he said humbly.

The Dryads laughed, a deep, cheerful sound that had me smiling at their amusement.

"Do not thank us, great hunter," the first Dryad said. "You chose wisely by befriending the Daughter of Eve as you did. I hope you know how fortunate you are in having her as a friend, for she will be as faithful to you as any pack mate."

"Or as a member of a herd," Roan put in, clearly insulted that he had been left out.

"Indeed," agreed all three Dryads.

I cleared my throat, my head finally wrapped around the fact that mythical creatures straight from legend were talking to me, and willing to help. "Thank you," I managed to squeak out. "This means a great deal to me."

They simply giggled and drifted away as the leaves caught on a passing breeze and flew off into the distance. My head was still spinning as I settled down to sleep, Fang on one side of me as my eyes closed and my mind whirled in a tangled, awed mess.

* * *

When I woke the next morning, even though I shouldn't have been surprised, I was very much so when I saw the basket of food waiting for me. It wasn't a large basket, but it was stuffed full of nuts, berries, fruit, and other eatable vegetation. I saw a few apples (which I intended to save for Roan), and pears, as well as a few handfuls of cherries.

Lucky for me, the basket was small enough for me to carry and hold onto as I rode, and there was a flip-top lid that could be secured shut, for easy travel. I put the nuts, berries, and cherries into my plastic bags, creating a rough trail mix to snack on as I rode, and put the larger fruits in my bag, which had just enough from for them to be carried, and not get crushed. I wanted to carry the empty basket in my lap, in case we came across anything I could gather as food, but didn't think it would be a good idea, since it was rather bulky and I had nothing to strap it to.

I looked over at Roan and offered him an apple. "It won't be rude of me to leave this here, would it?" I asked him, just to be sure. "It's too hard to ride and hold onto it at the same time, without a saddle."

He finished munching his treat, then shook his head. "No, I don't think it would be rude, not when they know you aren't able to take it with you. It should be fine."

Relieved, I gently set the basket aside and went to check on my other four-legged friend. True to their word, the Dryads had tended to Fang's wound in the night. I hadn't even felt him leave my side, where he served as a heat source while I slept –and yet, somehow, they had spread a mess of crushed herbs over his wound and wrapped it well in leaves and vines to keep it all in place.

"Have you eaten yet, Fang?" I asked before taking a healthy bite out of a pear.

He nodded. "I had a very tasty rabbit while you slept. I am ready to leave when you are."

I quickly finished my breakfast and tossed my vine blanket over Roan's back. After a quick boost from a nearby rock, I was able to juggle the newly heavy bag on my back, though with all the food it was holding, I had a feeling that I'd be getting a backache soon.

"Don't worry about where we can rest," Roan told me as I settled into place. "The Dryads told me that here will be safe places to stop between here and the castle."

I almost cheered in relief. We had been lucky so far in our rest spots, but I really didn't want to risk a stop where we might upset the woodland dwellers.

"Alright," I said, grabbing a bit of Roan's mane. "Let's go."

* * *

AN: A bit shorter, this chapter, but the next one will be the usual length. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	4. Arrival

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing _**Narnia **_related (though I wish I did!). Only original characters are mine.

AN: Here's chapter 4! I'm afraid that Caspian won't be showing up for a while, since I want Alandra to get situated first, and I'm trying to keep this as realistic as possible. Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 4: Arrival:**

After a week of traveling, I was dirty, sore, exhausted, and ready to give up on ever reaching the Telmarine castle. I had slept on the ground atop a blanket of woven vines that was now near the end of its life, and been kept warm at night by a Talking Wolf. I obviously did not look or smell that great.

In the Narnia movies and the books, they had made the journey to Cair Paravel look so easy, and so quick! I knew better now, because if Lewis or the movie directors had put how long it _really_ took to travel that distance, no one from my time would have attempted the journey at all.

Ironically, the trek was easier than it could have been. The Dryads kept their word better than I expected, because not only did the Dryads I first meet provide food for me, but every night we stopped, there was at least one or two of them (either the same ones, or different) who came to greet us with open arms, smiles, food, and herbs.

It was the herbs that were almost priceless to me and to Fang. Not only were these medicines for my friend's wound, but there were also herb mixes that cleaned my breath and got my mouth clean. Since I didn't have a toothbrush, this came in very handy.

There were also herbs that could be crushed and rubbed into my hair, which when cleaned out with water, left my hair smelling rather pleasant and free of dirt and oil. A pity that was as close to a bath as I ever got, since there was no possible way I was going to strip down and bathe in the middle of the woods! Since this _was_ Narnia, there was no telling who (or what) lived in the trees, the water, or the ground, and I did not want to give them a peek at my…assets.

But what helped the most on my travels was that I had Roan to carry me, and Fang to keep us safe. Even then, however, the journey was still long, especially when we had to rest often in order to let Fang's wound mend. It was healing well, thanks to the herbs of the Dryads, but I often blamed myself for his getting hurt, even if Fang was quick to lecture me on how I had done the right thing.

"You could not have known whether I was friend or foe," he chided me as I wrapped his paw one night. "You did what was necessary to save a creature you believed to be in danger, and acted quickly. It was a very bold, and very brave, decision."

His words had made me blush, but the lick to the face had sealed it. Fang and I were now friends, a fact that was sealed by Roan, who had sighed, "Finally!" after seeing Fang's sign of affection.

Now, a week after I had started my journey, we were within sight of the castle! We had come to rest atop a hill overlooking a valley in which the castle sat, and I could see several carts and horseback riders on the roads, going to and from the bustling city that lay before the long causeway reaching out from the castle walls.

And it was a _big_ castle.

I had always liked the welcoming, warm way the films portrayed Cair Paravel –the place looked like a grand palace, very beautiful and perfect for good monarchs to rule from. Plus, it was by the sea, and was said to be crafted of pure white stone, so that it glowed. _That_ is how a castle in a mythical land is supposed to look.

The Telmarine castle, however, was tall, imposing, and cold-looking, a large structure with a large canyon-like gap between it and the city that formed around it in a crescent moon shape. It was intimidating, and it made me wonder when King Caspian would rebuild Cair Paravel, because I had had no doubts that this place would hold far too many bad memories (and too much negative energy) for him. Maybe it was a bit nice and homey inside, but on the outside, not so much.

With my destination so close, I began to feel a sudden dread in my stomach. What if I failed in getting a position inside the palace? There was really no possible way for me to get a job that would get me close enough to Caspian in order for me to befriend him! I had no money that they would recognize, and I doubt Aslan would put on an appearance just for my sake.

"I'm doomed," I muttered out loud from my perch on Roan's back. "I'm not even _dressed_ right! How is anyone going to take me seriously when I'm clearly from another world?"

Roan snorted his amusement. "Don't be silly," he said, turning his head to nudge my left foot with his nose. "You are a young woman from another world with not one, but _two_ Talking Beasts with you! Of course the King will see you!"

It was Fang's turn to snort. "I disagree," he replied. "For a Daughter of Eve from another world to arrive in Narnia tells me that Aslan sent her, and that he would want you to be subtle about whatever task he has given you." He looked at me closely. "What _is_ the task he gave you? You never said."

I swallowed. "He wants me to befriend the King and advise him at need," I said, carefully choosing my words. "And I think Fang is right. I don't want to just march up to the castle, announce that Aslan sent me here, and get his friendship just for that reason. He should be my friend because he _wants_ to be, not because he feels he should obey Aslan."

Roan snorted and stamped his right foreleg. "Well, then, how are you going to do that?"

Good point. "I'll need clothes from here," I said aloud. "And a back story, something that explains that I'm not Narnian, but also tells how I have two Talking Beasts as friends and traveling companions."

In the end, I decided to dismount so that the three of us stopped for a quick lunch and put together a story that was believable. After much discussion, my story would be that I was a young woman traveling from Archenland with her friends in search of a different life in Narnia under the new King. My only problem was my clothes, which were obviously not of this world.

As we finished our quick bite of lunch, I heard someone playing a wind instrument of some kind, and the sound of hooves on the ground. Fang sniffed and sneezed before telling me what he'd scented.

"Faun," he said. "Male, by the scent of him."

Dusting myself off, I got up and waited until the faun came into view, and giggled as he practically inhaled his flute in surprise. As he composed himself, I gave him a courteous bow and wished him a good afternoon while trying not to stare at the goat legs that he had. I couldn't believe that a real faun was standing right in front of me! He even had tiny horns on his head, set in his curling blonde hair!

He, meanwhile, stuttered a reply while adjusting the large pack on his back, but soon managed to compose himself. "Oh, a young traveler, are you?" he asked, eying me closely. "But you are not from Narnia, are you?"

Now was a good time to put my back story to the test, and to create a different persona of sorts. So, thinking of Jane Austen's Georgian England, with their manners of speech and eloquence, I spoke.

"Alas, no," I said with a sigh. "I'm afraid I'm from the south, from Archenland. I hope you'll forgive my appearance, for I was forced to dress in whatever was at hand when I left to seek a new life here in Narnia. I had heard that there was a new King on the throne, and a good one, so I came to seek my fortunes."

I reached out to pat Roan on the shoulder. "And here are my companions. This is Roan, a Talking Horse, and Fang, a Talking Wolf I met on my journey."

I then put on a slightly pleading smile. "I do hope you can help me, Master Faun. I do not wish to go into the city looking so dreadful in all this. Do you know where I may find a proper change of clothes? I have medicines from the Dryads I might be able to trade for something, at least."

His green eyes lit up. "Dryad medicines!" he cried. "Oh, my dear girl, you are fortunate that it is me you ran into. I'm a trader, of sorts, and have some human clothing that came into my possession through an exchange in town. I was going to trade them to one of the outlying Telmarine farmers just west of here, but I see that this would be far better for both of us."

From his pack he pulled out a small stack of clothes, and as he did that, I pulled out the Dryad medicines that had been left with me last night. Thanks to their magic, Fang's wound was now sealed, and only a nasty scar remained. It might fade over time, but Fang would be stuck with it for life.

The faun said his name was Jesson, and as he unwrapped the small, pressed cake of healing herbs, he grew very excited. "The Dwarves would give a great deal for some of this, particularly after being hurt while mining." He looked at me eagerly. "I don't suppose you have any food given to you by the Dryads, do you? If so, I can give you all the human clothing I have in exchange for it. Please, look at them for yourself."

I did so, and was startled that he had a rather decent collection of stuff. There were a couple shirts, two pairs of breeches, and even two skirts, as well as a pair of tall boots that came up to just below my knees. All were in plain colors of brown, green, or blue, but that was good enough for me. He also offered some bread and a jar of honey, which for me sealed the deal.

We did a fair exchange: my medicine and food in exchange for the clothes, bread and honey. He even gave me a few coins, saying that it was the least he could do.

"They will help you obtain lodgings, and perhaps food," Jesson explained. "No, don't argue. It is a fair trade, as well I should know. Now, you should ride for the castle walls, so that you can reach them within the next hour or so." Then he left, playing happily on his flute as he walked away.

Well, there was no way I was heading into town in the condition I was in! Luckily, I had only given Jesson the food and medicines, not the cleaning herbs, so I was finally able to try and take a quick bath somewhere!

"Didn't we pass a brook not far back?" I asked my friends.

Fang nodded, and we all quickly retraced our steps so that I could have my bath, my two friends keeping an eye out for travelers and possible "peeping Toms."

An hour later, I was clean, dressed, and had woven a rough ribbon of vines together in order to keep my hair neatly tied back. I had worn it loose in the forest because I hadn't cared how I looked, but since I was going to be around actual people, I ought to look as good as possible. After all, first impressions were very important, especially since I was going to try and get near the King.

I had chosen to wear breeches beneath a long skirt, since I couldn't ride sidesaddle, and hopefully no one would notice my odd outfit choice –or they'd just think it was my being "outlandish."

Off to the castle we rode, over low rises, fields, and past small groups of trees. When we finally reached the outskirts of the town, I closed my eyes and prayed to Aslan that things wouldn't go too badly.

* * *

I honestly couldn't believe my eyes as I looked around the bustling city. I'd managed to absorb the existence of Talking Beasts, Dryads, and Fauns pretty well, but that was probably because it had all come in small doses. This was almost too much for me to handle.

First, there were people _everywhere_, and not just humans. I looked one way, and I'd see a centaur chatting away with a Talking Goat that walked on its hind legs. In another direction stood a human and a Minotaur bargaining over a stack of metal objects or food, or a Faun talking with a Dwarf. It was enough to make anyone from my world want to pinch themselves, and if it weren't for the ache in my legs and back telling me that this was very real, I would have tried to do the same.

Lucky for me, my clothes made me less of an eyesore, and my brown hair and eyes somewhat blended in with the dark-haired Telmarines, who mostly resembled the Spanish exchange students I had met in high school and college. My companions didn't attract much attention either, because a horse is a horse, and there were other dogs and wolves scurrying through the streets, so Fang blended in fine.

Looking at the buildings, I kept in mind the coins that Jesson had given to me, and decided I had better find a place to sleep. Once I was settled somewhere, I could explore the town and see if there was a way to get a job inside the palace. If not, I was in serious trouble.

Feeling Roan's back muscles bunch and move beneath me, I realized I was in worse trouble than I thought. Finding a stable to put him in would cost serious money, because he would have to be fed, watered, and sheltered, like me. Fang might be able to share a room with me, but food for him would cost money, too.

I was ready to groan in despair when I heard a commotion off to my left. Halting Roan with a tug of my hand on his mane, I turned and saw a shorter old man stumble and fall, the rolls of parchment in his arms rolling in the street as the books he carried fell into the dust of the road. Since I couldn't abide seeing precious books on the ground, I immediately told my friends to stay put while I helped the poor old fellow, since the most anyone else was doing was standing still or moving around him so that they didn't crush or ruin anything.

'_Jerks_,' I silently thought at them while I rushed to grab a roll of parchment before it blew away.

Roan and Fang decided to help out, both of them either dragging the fallen objects over, or pushing them to me with their noses. Meanwhile, the poor old fellow was scrambling to get his possessions before he lost them all. Thanks to our efforts, we managed to get everything together in a short time, and it was only after the last book and parchment had been recovered that the man noticed me and my friends.

"Oh! My dear, thank you so much!" he said as I helped tuck everything into a bag at his side. "I'm afraid it was my own fault, reading while juggling so many things, but that is the price I usually pay for such foolishness."

I chuckled. "I'm afraid that is a trait we both share, sir," I replied while eying him for injury. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"No, no," he hastily replied, dusting himself off. His voice was heavily accented, almost a mix between English and Spanish, though the Spanish influence was more prominent.

That's when I got a really good look at him. He was rather small, standing at just under my chin, and I wasn't that tall in the first place. However, his height might be because of his older age, rather than my case, which was genetics. He had a long white beard, long white hair with a bald spot on top of his head, and spectacles over sparkling blue eyes. If he wore a red suit instead of the blue robes he currently donned, he'd be a dead ringer for Santa.

"Well, now, I believe introductions are in order," he said, smiling kindly up at me. "I'm Professor Cornelius."

My eyes widened as I struggled to keep from squealing in excitement. This was too eerie. Here was the man who taught the young Prince Caspian of the Old Narnians, and instructed him on how to be a good king!

'_Okay, don't panic_,' whispered a voice in my head. '_Stay calm and introduce yourself_.'

I smiled and offered a hand, which he gingerly took. "I'm Alandra," I said, gently shaking his hand. "But most people call me Ali."

Professor Cornelius smiled and gently grasped my hand. "Well, Ali, the least I could do to thank you is offer you afternoon tea, particularly when you look as though you've traveled a long way."

He looked pointedly at Roan and Fang. "Your friends are more than welcome to come to the palace with us, but I'm afraid the horse will have to remain in the stables, if that's suitable."

Roan nodded. "That is perfectly alright, sir," he replied.

I looked between Roan and the Professor. "Would you like to ride to the palace, Professor?" I asked politely. "Your bag looks very heavy, and I wouldn't want you struggling with it all the way there."

To my relief, Cornelius smiled at me and accepted my offer. With some help from a passing Centaur, we were able to get Cornelius onto Roan's back, along with his bag. My own sack, however, remained on my own back as I led Roan across the palace bridge and past the guards, who let us pass without conflict.

After leaving Roan in the hands of the stable boys, Fang and I turned and followed the Professor up the side steps and into the castle, me holding my breath the whole trip to his quarters.

* * *

The inside of the Telmarine palace wasn't quite as intimidating as I had previously thought, but it was still without much warmth and welcome to it.

There were a lot of statues of tall, intimidating men lining the walls of the main corridors, but thank goodness there were none in the halls leading to the living areas. The grey stone walls were quite stark, without any kind of decoration except for the sconces that were meant to hold small lit candelabras at night. We passed a few guards, but none stopped us, though they did give Fang a careful look as they let him pass.

Professor Cornelius led us into his private library, which was a bright spot in the dreary grayness of the castle. Here a warm fire burned, and all along the walls, tables, and chairs were books, rolls of parchment, scrolls full of beautiful paintings or marvelous tales, and bits and pieces of artwork. It was cozy, warm, and wonderfully pleasant to be in.

As soon as we were fully into the room, Professor Cornelius invited me to take a seat before the fire in a large chair covered in warm brown leather, while Fang flopped himself down on a rug. After we were comfortable, a string of servants arrived with enough food to feed an army, then quickly vanished as the Professor shooed them out.

Once all three of us were alone again, I was promptly served tea, cakes, sandwiches, and a dozen other delicious things I hadn't tasted in a week. Fang was given a bowl of raw sausages that had come with the tea, which the Professor said was usually part of his before-dinner snack.

"I usually save them for roasting over the fire later, but I think your wolf needs them more," he said, smiling as Fang gobbled them down using his sharp teeth.

For a while, we were too preoccupied with eating and drinking, so I took a bit of opportunity to look around and inhale my favorite scent: books, paper, dust, and ink, all mixed together. It was heaven.

"Well, my dear, it seems that I am at a loss as to where you are from," he suddenly interrupted my thoughts. "Your accent is strange, meaning that you are not Narnian. So may I ask what you are doing here, in this kingdom?"

I swallowed heavily, the tea in my mouth suddenly going from perfectly sweet to very bitter. It probably wasn't a good idea to lie to the King's former tutor, so I decided to go with a bit of the truth, mixed with a lie.

"I'm afraid I left my home in Archenland in search of my fortunes, sir," I murmured. "Roan, my horse, is a friend I met in my travels, as is Fang, the wolf." That said wolf was now dozing peacefully in front of the fire, his belly quite full and round.

I felt terrible lying to this kind man, but I really didn't want to risk sounding crazy by explaining that Aslan wanted me, a girl from another world, to be a friend and confidant to the King of Narnia!

His eyes sparkled. "Ah, well, since you are new to Narnia, I must be correct in my guess that you will need a means of earning a living. From the looks you have been casting around my library, you seem to love books as much as I myself do, so I believe that you may be of help to me. I am growing old, and am in need of an assistant who can help me organize my library so that it is easier to find things."

Excitement shot through me, and I almost leaped from my chair, the cup in my hand jiggling in its saucer as I tried to restrain myself. "But where will I live? And what of my friends? I don't want to be separated from them."

The old man chuckled good-humoredly. "Your horse may stay in the stables, and Fang may stay here in the castle, if you wish. You would be free to ride out whenever you begin to feel restless, and go whenever you'd like to go, within reason. Would that suit you?"

I smiled broadly. "More than you could ever know, sir," I replied, taking a sip of tea.

* * *

AN: Review?


	5. Adjustments

Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to _**The Chronicles of Narnia**_. Only original characters belong to me.

AN: Hi everyone! Quick note: I will be on vacation next week, so there won't be a new posting for about two weeks. Sorry about that, but that's all I can promise. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 5: Adjustments:**

Professor Cornelius was good as his word, both with his offer and with my new living arrangements.

Immediately after tea, he quickly sent for servants, who he ordered to go make up a room for me, and to alert the seamstresses of my coming to be fitted for new clothes. The stable workers were to be notified of a large roan horse being sheltered in the palace stables from now on, and the servants warned that Fang would likely be a permanent residence here as well.

My new home was to be a small suite of rooms up a short, curving stairwell that stood next to the library, and I was fortunate that these rooms were the only ones up there. There were only two ways to get up to them: a main stairway which I and most others would use, and a smaller, hidden stair that the Professor showed me.

"These are to be used for emergencies," he explained while giving me a tour of them. "I used them to escape with Caspian, when his uncle attempted to kill him. The secret stair goes down to his rooms, and branches out two ways: one to this room, and another to a side courtyard. Not even the servants know it exists. It will serve you well if you need to escape danger."

And the only way the Professor knew the stairwell existed because these had been his own rooms not long ago. Following the war, however, the King had given him a new set of rooms, which were easier to get to in the Professor's old age. His new rooms now sat opposite the library, leaving me with his former quarters.

And they weren't bad rooms, either. I had a quaint sitting room with lots of shelves for books (it had belonged to a professor and librarian, after all!), and it was furnished with comfortable chairs, tables, desks, and a small fireplace. It was a place I could curl up with a good book, and be perfectly happy to stay in for hours at a time.

To the right of the sitting room was a bathroom with an actual tub, and a toilet where the waste was washed away by water coming from a cistern on the top of the castle. Water could also be diverted into the tub, but the tub would have to be heated by stones placed in the fire, or by building a fire underneath the tub itself.

Connected to the bathroom and the sitting room was a bedroom that was easily the size of my entire apartment back in my world. Here were more bookshelves, and a fireplace with a beautiful screen in front of it, crafted of steel and copper in the shapes of trees, animals, and flowers. The bed had a plain, undecorated headboard and bedposts, but Professor Cornelius promised to send woodcarvers to decorate them in any design I wished. I was quick to assure him that it was fine as it is, but he insisted.

"I spent most of my nights on a cot in the library, so this bed was mostly untouched for the past several years," he said, patting one of the bedposts. "A pretty girl like you needs a nicely decorated bed to sleep in."

There were finely crafted chests all throughout the room: one at the foot of the bed, one along the wall near the fireplace, and two along an outer wall that sported a small balcony with a large step-up window. One trunk stood to the left of the window, and another that was just under the windowsill, apparently serving as a seat before the window, and step up to the balcony (which wasn't large enough to hold anything bigger than a large cat or a small dog).

Two tall mahogany wardrobes were to the left of the door, and I couldn't stop myself from wondering out loud why so much storage space was needed. The Professor's chuckle caused me to blush at my outburst, and he cheerfully answered me by saying that he'd stored numerous books and papers in the trunks, to hide them from mice and other animals.

"For clothes, I'll send you to the seamstresses in the castle," he said, looking at the wardrobes. "I do hope you will not beggar me with the amount of dresses you will commission from them."

When I tried to tell him that I had clothes, Professor Cornelius shook his head. "You'll need more than a handful of country or common clothing here in the palace. You will be seen by many people, and as my assistant, you will need to wear clothes befitting your station."

If that was the case, I didn't have the heart to tell him that dresses weren't the only thing I'd be ordering from the seamstresses! There was no way I was going to be walking around in a dress the whole time I was here –I might wear them part of the time, but for the most part, breeches and shirts, as well as boots, were going to be high on my list.

Satisfied that I was happy with my new rooms, I left my pack on the bed and followed Professor Cornelius as he led me back to the library, where Fang was waiting. He did not look happy that I had left him in the library, but I gave him a swift hug as I apologized.

"I think there will be a nice spot for you to sleep upstairs," I said, smiling at Fang's unhappy face. "There are two fireplaces, so if you choose to stay here with me, you'll be warm. I'll see if I can get a comfortable rug for each fireplace, as well, so you'll have a place to sleep."

His hard, golden eyes softened slightly. "Thank you," he replied, looking at me. "Should we tell Roan about this new arrangement?"

"Ah, yes, your horse," Cornelius said, smiling. "Yes, go tell him, and when you're finished, a servant will be waiting to take you to the seamstresses, who should be expecting you. When you're done with them, ask to be shown back here, and I will show you about the castle."

Fang and I nodded our agreement, and quickly raced back to the stables, only getting lost once on our walk there.

* * *

Roan was thrilled with my new position in the castle. When I asked if he would rather be set free to return to the forests, he refused. Apparently the thought of a warm stall, constant food and water, as well as the chance of getting brushed every day, appealed to him. City life seemed to come easily to my two friends, and I was thrilled to have them choose to stay with me.

I left Roan to his meal of oats, and told Fang that, since I was going to be busy for a few hours with getting new clothes, he was free to go back to the library and nap, if he wished. But to my surprise, he was curious as to why humans needed clothing, and decided to come along, just to see what all the fuss was about.

A male servant was waiting as I stepped outside the stable, and he immediately took us inside and down into the seamstresses' domain. It was actually a huge room with a dozen sewing dummies standing about, all of them with at least two or three women stitching, pining, measuring, cutting, trimming, and arguing around them. The mannequins stood a good way from the door, probably to keep people from stepping on loose pins or needles.

In the center of the chaos was an old woman, her salt-and-pepper hair pulled up into a tight bun. Her dress was a deep navy blue, with silver trimming the sleeves and collar, and in her hand was what appeared to be a yardstick. Taking a closer look at her, she reminded me of the infamous Madame Giry, the ballet mistress in the _Phantom of the Opera_ movie.

I had to bite back laughter as she called out orders, shouted insults, and delivered a stream of lectures to her workers, all of whom were working frantically under her watchful eye. There were only two young women who weren't busy, and I suspected that their task was to greet anyone who came in while the head seamstress's back was turned. One such girl started to approach me, but when she saw Fang behind me in the doorway, she hesitated and backed away, swallowing nervously. Slowly, the other girls began to stop what they were doing and stare at me. This caused the head seamstress to turn around as well, and she didn't look very happy at the work being stopped. Fortunately, she couldn't see Fang, who was behind me and out of her line of sight.

"May I help you, miss?" she said, her voice arrogant and somewhat rude. "Are you lost? I'm afraid the servant's quarters are the opposite way, and no doubt are not accepting new workers today."

Oh, she was one of _those_ palace servants, one who thought she was above and better than the others. I simply pasted on a false smile and answered, "No, I am not looking for a servant's position, good lady. I am here for new clothes. Professor Cornelius said that you would be expecting me."

She gave me a close examination. "Ah, yes, the King's former tutor. Yes, I received his message. Come, we will measure you and you may choose which colors and materials you would like your gowns made of."

I cleared my throat. "Actually, I would also like some breeches and shirts made for me to wear as well."

They turned to stare at me, and the head seamstress scowled. "Ladies do not wear men's clothing," she said snidely while the other girls giggled.

Glaring at her, I crossed my arms over my chest and scowled right back at her. "This one does. And since Professor Cornelius is paying you to make my clothes, you will make what I order." I paused. "Please."

The room went silent as the head seamstress's eyes narrowed. "I will not make such outrageous clothing," she snapped, "Particularly not for an improper, disgraceful chit of a girl such as you."

Behind me, Fang snarled his anger, long white teeth bared as he came forward to stand at my side. I gently placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from advancing as the women gasped and pulled back, their faces pale and full of fear.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Then I will take my business, and the Professor's coinage, elsewhere. I'm sure there are people in town who would be happy to help me. Good day."

Turning, I walked out of their workrooms, Fang giving them one last snarl before he turned and followed. As soon as the door closed behind us, he chuckled, deeply and full of amusement.

"You should have let me snap at them, Ali," he said as I waved down a passing female servant. "It would have been great fun to see their faces if I did."

I ignored him in favor of asking directions back to the Professor's library, which the woman was happy to give. I managed to follow the directions she'd given, and get us back there without any trouble, though Fang was still insistent about going back to bite the head seamstress.

Needless to say, Professor Cornelius was surprised to see us back so soon. When I explained what had happened, he grew upset, but then he asked why I would want to wear breeches rather a gown, as was proper.

I sighed and took a seat near the fireplace. "I'm sorry, Professor, but a dress is a _very_ bad idea to wear when climbing up and down ladders," I explained as Fang flopped down in front of the warm flames. "Skirts can be heavy, and very inconvenient to move around in, particularly when you need to run or move quickly because they wrap around your legs and cause you to trip and fall."

He thought about it for a moment. "You're right," he agreed, surprising me slightly. "It may seem improper, but since you will be going up and down ladders and such, as well as running errands for me, I can see your logic in this."

Before I could thank him, he held up a finger to stop me. "But you will need to wear a dress whenever I ask it of you," he said, smiling at my crestfallen look. "I doubt it will be very often, my dear, but it will do you good to feel feminine in a proper dress. Now, wait here while I get my money pouch and we will go into the city this moment and find you some suitable clothes."

I waited as he went to get ready, and when everything was set, the Professor and I headed out into town, with me arm-in-arm with my new employer.

* * *

Even though I'd been through the city just a few hours ago, it still blew my mind. Marketplaces back home did not have mythical creatures walking about, buying things, trading, talking, laughing, and having a good time.

Mostly, they were buying things, and humans were doing the selling, but it was still early in Caspian's reign, so it might take a while for many of the Old Narnians to set up shop in a previously all-human city. However, there were a few fauns who had stalls set up, selling food, musical instruments, even hairbrushes and hair decorations, which the women and girls were buying up like crazy.

I 'people-watched' as we made our way through the crowds, finally arriving at a store with a sign over the door that proclaimed it a clothes shop. Professor Cornelius led me inside, and we were soon greeted by a female faun, who beamed when she saw us.

She was quite pretty, with curling brown hair, a sweet face, and large green eyes that sparkled. She wore a green dress with brown trimming, and the fact that she wasn't looking down her nose at me earned her major points from me.

"My assistant is in need of new dresses, some fine and some good enough to work in and get dusty," the Professor told her with a smile. "She would also like breeches, shirts, and other men's garments, if you have them, so that she can climb up and down ladders easily."

"Oh, how wonderful!" she exclaimed, practically dragging us to a large counter at the far side of the room with numerous shelves behind it, each shelf stacked with cloth and clothes. "Yes, I can see how she would want to wear breeches if she is going to going up ladders. I've never understood why female humans wish to wear garments that are so restrictive, like skirts. Let me get a good look at you, miss, and I'll see what I can find."

The female faun, named Lily, nodded and didn't seem to think it strange that a human female wanted to wear men's clothes. She didn't even measure me with a tape or length of knotted rope; she just looked me over and went to rummage around the shelves, bringing out armful after armful of already stitched together outfits. When she finally finished, there was a huge mound of clothing on the countertop.

"There we are," Lily said, white teeth glinting as she smiled. "Since I doubt you wish to purchase everything here, let us see what colors you like and what will suit you."

I ended up with ten shirts, all in different colors, some skirts in brown and beige, and four different pairs of pants, in black, brown, navy blue, and dark green. The only reason there were no dresses in the pile was because she did not have any in my size, nor in any color she thought would suit me.

_Now_ she measured me, and with the Professor's input, Lily was able to put together a few rough sketches of gowns and dresses that could be finished within the next two weeks (or as she put it, a "fortnight"). These would be both plain and elegant outfits, in case I was required to attend an event in the palace.

Lucky for me, I didn't have to carry any of my new clothes back to the castle. Lily was going to send them up for us, and call me back for dress fittings in a few days. Professor Cornelius paid for the things we had, and promised the rest when the dresses were ready. Lily agreed, and bid us farewell until a later day.

Thrilled, I followed the Professor out into town. Now that I had one less burden lifted from my shoulders, I was able to enjoy myself and really _look_ at the world around me.

Before this point, I had been worried to the point of having an anxiety attack. There was so much that I needed to do, and I'd had no idea how to do it. But now I had friends, and a man who was willing to take me on as his assistant in keeping up with his library! Granted, I still had the difficult task of making friends with the King, but since I was working for the King's former tutor, it was probably going to be a matter of time before I met the infamous Caspian.

'_I wonder if he's as good-looking as the guy in the movie_.' The actor had certainly been easy on the eyes, but then, the man in the BBC version had been cute, too. I guess I'd have to wait and see.

To welcome me as his new assistant, Professor Cornelius insisted on taking me to supper at a local eatery, which was run by an old friend of his, Rosalinda. Because they were old friends, we were seated the moment we walked through the door. The place was packed from one wall to the other, so it was amazing that they even managed to find us a table at all.

Our supper was a strange type of stew that wasn't quite Spanish, but still had a lot of that influence. It was spicy, savory, with a lot of green herbs, leafy vegetables, and meat floating in it. I asked a passing serving girl what the cook's secret was, and she merely smiled and said that it was a mixture of human cooking and ingredients provided by a centaur family who lived outside the city's boundaries.

Taking a healthy bite of the greens, I marveled at the wonders I had experienced so far. I'd met Dryads, Fauns, Centaurs, and Talking Animals, and was now eating dinner with a king's former teacher, who happened to be the son of a female Dwarf from the Black Mountains. Even here in the eatery, there were Talking Beasts who stood on their hind legs as they chatted with the barkeep, or sat at tables eating their meals and laughed with friends.

'Surreal' was the only word that popped into my head as I ate my stew and bread, followed by a mug of cool water. Professor Cornelius indulged in a mug of ale, and chatted on and on about his newest book findings while I nodded and ate. Finally, as supper was winding to a close, he began talking about the tasks I would be performing, starting tomorrow morning

"Not too early, of course," he said, finishing up about the same time I did. "I am an old man, and I like to rest an extra hour or so after dawn. If you are up before I am and feeling restless, feel free to go into the library and read, or you may begin tidying things up a bit until I arrive for the day."

He smiled at my expression. "No, my dear Ali, I don't expect you to dust or clean things –that's what the servants are for. They know to not touch anything without permission, and keep their focus on cleaning the top shelves. You are to merely reorganize my pens, ink, and papers; that's all. When I arrive, the real work will begin."

I was hesitant to ask my question, but I had to do it. "And what about my, um, earnings?" I asked carefully. "Will this be for food, clothes and shelter, or will there be something more substantial than that?"

I wouldn't mind receiving just food, shelter, and clothes, since that's what most servants got during the Middle Ages, but coinage would be a good thing, too.

The Professor's beard swayed as he chuckled. "In return, you will be one of the few who receive not only the usual room and board, as well as clothes, but I will make sure that you receive actual funds that you may save and spend when you have a free day."

I breathed a sigh of relief, which made him chuckle again. "Come, my dear. I will show you what I wish for you to do tomorrow, and then you can take a book to your rooms and read for the evening, if you wish. I've no doubt you will want to rest well tonight."

A book, a warm fire and a room all my own sounded heavenly, especially after so many days and nights traveling through the woods. True, Fang had kept me warm and safe, but having a roaring fire and a good book was like heaven to me –I couldn't wait to get back to my rooms!

As we walked down the street, I smiled and nodded at a passing centaur male and his young son. The Centaur looked grave as he nodded back to me, while his son grinned and waved. I grinned back and waved; an act that earned me a small smile from his father. The little one laughed and skipped off, his father trailing behind until they were out of sight.

Professor Cornelius grinned and led me through a side door into the palace. "That was well done, Ali," he said, taking the stairs up to the library. "I am pleased that you've accepted the Old Narnians as easily as you have. It hasn't been easy for us Telmarines to do so, but change is never easy. The fact that you are friends with a Talking Horse and Wolf speaks greatly about you."

I flushed. "Well, I merely try to treat others the way I would like to be treated," I told him as we ascended the stairwell. "And if they are disrespectful to me, I will still treat them decently –well, at least until my temper gets the best of me."

"That is how it should be," he agreed with a laugh. "Now, here is the key to your rooms. Be off with you. I will see you tomorrow morning, and we will have breakfast in the library before we get to work. Goodnight."

Waving farewell, I headed up the spiral staircase that led up to my suite, more than ready for a book and a warm bed.

* * *

AN: Review?


	6. When Fiction Becomes Reality

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**The Chronicles of Narnia**_ (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: Yup, back from vacation! Here's an update for everyone, as promised. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 6: When Fiction Becomes Reality:**

As I entered my suite, I saw that Fang had already taken up residence in front of the fireplace, which had a great roaring fire in it. When he saw me enter, he raised his head and gave me a wolf 'smile' and motioned towards a spot on the large carpet beside him.

"I'm glad you're back," he said as I knelt beside him on the soft carpeting. "I've got a ferocious itch in the middle of my back, and my fur is all matted and tangled from our time in the forest. The servants here are content to feed and bathe me, but wouldn't brush out my fur! They left a brush there for you to use, and left me here with both an itch and fur that looks like it came from a sheep!"

Laughing, I fetched the brush from a table nearby and began brushing out his fur. "You've become quite spoiled in your short time here," I teased him as I worked. "Warm fires, fresh food you didn't have to hunt for, and now you have me brushing your fur like a maid does her lady's hair!"

His laughter joined mine. "Aye, you're right," Fang admitted. "But it is nice having a place I can call home, and someone caring for me as a friend and companion. I have you to help me as a pack mate would, and I will help you in every way possible in return. We will make a good pack."

"Absolutely," I agreed. "Just don't let Roan hear you call us a pack. I think we're more of a type of family, though a rather strange one!"

As Fang chuckled in amusement, I grew serious as I realized something. "Fang, while the Professor and I work throughout the day, I'm going to have to find a way to let the others in the castle know that you belong here, because you're with me. I hope you won't mind a length of string around your neck, or some other kind of marking so that no one wrongly throws you out while I'm not looking."

Fang seemed to consider it closely as I finished the last of his fur and began scratching him on the back. "Hmm, a length of woven material will probably suit, as long as you remove it each night. I do not wish to sleep with such a device on my neck."

"Agreed," I said, giving him one last scratch. "I'll find a loose bit of cloth or string to put on you –at least until the servants are familiar with you." I looked out the window at the darkness. "Now, however, it's time for sleep."

The clothes from the Lily the Faun's shop had arrived, and sat in stacks on the chest that stood at the food of my bed. As I was too tired to put them away now, I decided to leave them where they were and just go straight to bed.

To my complete surprise, a pale white nightgown lay at the foot of my bed, ready for me to wear. There was a note on it with my name, and when I unfolded the parchment, I smiled. It was from Lily, and it said that since I had ordered so many things from her, she had included two nightgowns for no extra charge. I had no doubt it was with the intention of having me as a repeat customer, but it was a good ploy, nonetheless, and I respected her for it.

I told Fang to not peek while I changed, and after I had put aside my clothes from today, I slipped into the bed and sighed.

'_Oh, gosh, I will __**never**__ take a bed for granted again_!' I thought as I began to instantly sink into the mattress.

With my wolf friend dozing before the fireplace, I was soon asleep, feeling perfectly content for the first time in ages.

* * *

"I did not tell you this before, Ali, but I am glad to have met a human who accepts Talking Beasts without hesitation," Fang told me over breakfast the following day. "Many Telmarines are still a bit fearful of us, but you seem to have no difficulty with animals speaking as humans do."

I shrugged and poured myself another cup of tea to have with my sausages, bacon, fresh fruit, and toast. "I've always thought that talking animals would be interesting to meet and associate with," I told him, pouring cream and sugar into the cup. "I'm happy to have met you and Roan, and count myself lucky to have you both as friends and allies."

Looking at my friend, I asked, "Is your breakfast to your liking? I have some extra bread, if you want a bit."

He accepted my offer, and we proceeded through out meals, though I had to wince as I saw him tear through a raw leg of lamb right in front of me. Luckily, the palace servants had spread out a large, thick square of canvas for Fang to eat on, so that he wouldn't spoil the carpet with the bits of food he might drop during his meals. _I_ certainly wouldn't want to be the one scrubbing the carpet or floor after Fang was done eating!

Taking a sip of tea, I sighed with bliss. It was vanilla, and mixed with the cream and sugar, was sweet and soothing –a good beginning to the day, and a taste that went well with my breakfast.

Fang finished tearing the meat off of the lamb leg long before I finished my meal, and was beginning to gnaw on the bone as I swallowed one last piece of sausage. Before heading down to the library, I graciously offered him my leftover bacon and sausage, which he accepted.

"When you're finished, feel free to come join me downstairs," I said, brushing off my breeches to get rid any crumbs or food that may have fallen on me.

My outfit this morning was a long tunic of deep green, with a long-sleeved brown shirt beneath it, and brown breeches paired with a set of brown leather boots. The clothes had all come from Lily, but the boots had been from that kind Faun, Jesson, I'd met outside the city. I had a feeling that there would be more shoes to follow, because I could not wear boots like these beneath a dress!

'_Well, I suppose I could, but that would just look odd. No doubt the Professor will have me going to the local cobbler for several suitable pairs of shoes to go with my new wardrobe_!'

Well, that would be another time, and right now I had more important things to worry about, like being late to work on my very first day!

I left Fang lounging before the fire, and carefully made my way down the short flight of stairs to the floor which held the library and the Professor's rooms. His door was still closed, so I guessed that he was busy sleeping. Not wanting to be bored, I decided to take a closer look at my new work area.

The library door was always open, in case someone (most likely the King) decided they wanted to take a look at the texts within. By my guess, though, not many people here cared to read, or were likely able to in the first place. Illiteracy was something that might or might not be common here in Narnia, but even those who were literate might not want to read the contents that made up the Professor's library, which, if my memory of Lewis's work was correct, was made up of Narnia's Golden Age. I couldn't imagine that many Telmarines wanted to read books about the time of High King Peter the Magnificent, Queen Susan the Gentle, King Edmund the Just, or Queen Lucy the Valiant.

I, however, couldn't wait to get my hands on a text about the old Kings and Queens. Lucy had always been a favorite of mine, and I very much wanted to see if history matched up with Lewis's work.

Quietly slipping into the library, I was relieved that the sun was high enough to shine through one of the windows, illuminating the room enough so that I didn't need candles. The fire had been lit recently, because there was a small flame flickering amongst newly laid, large logs in the fireplace. The air glittered with dust particles, so I dared to go and open a nearby window just a crack, to let in some fresh air and clear out the floating dust.

Looking around, I tried to make sense of what the Professor was attempting to do with the library, but decided that it might be best to let him explain whatever "system" he was trying to put into place. Instead, I skimmed through a few of the books already lying on a large, picnic-type table in the middle of the room, and began flipping through a large tome that was titled "_Narnia's Golden Age and Its Rulers_."

Flipping through the book, I realized that this was going to be full of fantastically done illustrations, much like the books that monks used to create back in the 16th Century back home. Each picture had been done by hand, and must have taken months to do. Considering how much effort had gone into this single text, and how old this must be, I felt like I was touching a priceless book from the Vatican, or the Library of Congress.

At the first image that I encountered, I couldn't help but gasp. It was of High King Peter, both in his youth as a boy, and as an adult! The ones that followed were of his siblings, and I had to marvel at the portraits. They weren't lifelike, of course, since photography was far from being invented, but the images were beautifully done, and all of them showed realistic expressions on their faces. I could even see a few flaws, namely a mark on Edmund's cheek, possibly from a battle he'd fought in –or it could have been a streak of dirt that the artist refused to 'leave out' of the text.

The portraits of them all as children didn't really looked like the actors in the movie, but they didn't resemble the ones in the BBC version, either. Actually, they were a cross between both depictions, as well as a touch from Lewis's books, and all were very attractive and rather tall as adults, but each had something that made them stand out from the others.

Peter was obviously the serious older brother, which I could see from the solemn look in his blue eyes. Susan had a softness to her eyes and face that matched her description as being 'the Gentle,' and Edmund had a teasing glint in his caramel-brown eyes that belied the serious look on his face.

Lucy, however, had a bit of all of her siblings in her expression. Her face was stubborn, like Peter's, but full of kindness and compassion, like Susan's. There was also a bit of quirky humor in her eyes and mouth, as well as a noble tilt to her chin that said she would fight to the end for what was right.

"Ah, I see you found one of my most prized possessions!"

I squeaked and nearly fell over in surprise, causing Professor Cornelius to chuckle. "Forgive me, my dear," he apologized, "I did not mean to frighten you. However, I am not surprised to find you pouring over one of my favorite books on the old Kings and Queens."

I flushed and stepped away from the table. "I've just always been fascinated by the legends of that age in Narnia," I explained, watching him approach and lean over the book to close it.

He chuckled again and set the book aside. "Yes, they are quite interesting to read about. You may look at this, as well as any other books or scrolls you like when you are not working, however. Right now, you may help me stack, sort, and shelve these in the correct order."

I nodded. "Did you want them done by author, year created, the years they're topics are about, or alphabetically by title and then author?" I asked, eager to begin. "Or did you have another system in mind?"

Professor Cornelius looked surprised at my eagerness, as well as my knowledge of cataloguing texts. "Well, Ali, I think we shall have to discuss that," he said, smiling. "I had something in mind, and I believe you will either approve of it, or help me form a new means of organizing my beloved library."

* * *

In the end, we managed to forge together a system that promised a beautifully organized library, and began working on it immediately.

At first, I thought that we would have to start from scratch, but luckily, the Professor said that wasn't necessary. Some things would have to come down, of course, but mostly it was reshuffling things, moving things from one side of a shelf to another, and putting books or scrolls in different locations than they had been in before.

In no time, I was dusty, sweaty, and having the time of my life. If I hadn't been much of a bookworm in the first place, this would have been a nightmare; but as it was, being up to my neck in books was heaven for me.

By the time lunch rolled around, we were both more than ready for a meal. The servants brought a delicious meal of beef stew, bread and melted butter, and cool water flavored with mint. Fang, who had quickly been accepted by the castle servants as a friend of mine, joined us for his own bowl of stew, and promptly curled up on the floor before the fire, eager for a nap. Taking a cue from my wolf friend, Professor Cornelius declared that he, too, would have a brief rest, and told me that I was free to do whatever I wished for the next hour or two.

"You may read anything in the library, or go rest in your rooms," he said, yawning as he headed to his rooms. "When I return, we shall get back to work."

Left alone in the library with a drowsing wolf, I was at a loss as to what to do next. I wanted to go back to that large book about the Pevensie children, but decided that I would rather try and make a dent in the piles of scrolls that needed to be put away. Rolled up sheets of paper were much lighter, so I thought I would save the heavy stuff for later.

I didn't get very far before I heard some kind of scampering noise from the open doorway. It closely resembled the sound a mouse made through a wall, and I immediately feared for the well-being of the books. Then I remembered where I was, and that I shouldn't judge a mouse before I met it.

Fang, however, was another story. The minute he heard the pitter-patter of tiny clawed feet, he woke from his nap and leaped to his feet, growling. From where I stood behind the large central table, I could only see the top of Fang's head, and nothing else. I opened my mouth to ask what he had scented, but didn't get the chance.

Before I could utter a single sound, the scampering sound halted just inside the doorway. Fang's ears instantly went flat as he began to growl, and I could swear I heard what sounded like a small knife or sword being drawn.

"If death is your wish, then you have chosen the right opponent," declared a noble voice from below the edge of the table. "You will meet your end at the point of my blade."

"Uh, oh," I muttered before rushing around the table. I had a guess as to who the newcomer was, and if I was right, it would be a very bad idea to let Fang pick a fight with him.

Of course, I was right. On the floor was a Mouse, with a radiant red feather in his left ear decoration, and a rapier in his right front paw. So far as I knew, there was only one Mouse in all of Narnia who would face a wolf like this one was: Reepicheep.

Even though I wanted to introduce myself and tell him it was an honor to meet him, I first had to prevent him and Fang from killing each other. So, rushing around the table, I called out, "Alright, that's quite enough! Everyone just step back and take a nice, calming breath before this gets bloody!"

The two looked at me in surprise and just a little resentment, but both reluctantly backed away from each other. Smiling, I went over and gave Fang a comforting pet on the head while kneeling before Reepicheep, who had yet to put away his sword.

"I am most honored to meet you, noble Mouse," I greeted the Mouse. "Your skill in battle is legendary, sir. And I am pleased to have you in this library."

The embodiment of courtesy, Reepicheep quickly sheathed his rapier and bowed. "My lady," he greeted me, his voice suddenly turning warm and welcoming. "I had heard the King's former tutor had employed an assistant, and came to inspect the person myself. Would you be the fortunate one I'm looking for?"

"I am, good sir," I replied, inclining my head in a small bow as I rose to my full height. "I hope I meet with your expectations?"

Reepicheep chuckled. "I'm afraid I had none to speak of," he said, twitching his long tail. "But I am pleased that you are of good manners, and apparently are unafraid of hard work."

I smiled. "Alas, I'm afraid that it is my love of books that encourages my hard work," I admitted. "I'm addicted to the written word, and being here amongst so many books, scrolls, and papers is rather like working in a dream."

"An honest answer from an honest lady," he replied, saluting me with a forepaw. "It has been an honor to meet you, my lady."

"Oh, please, you may call me Ali," I said, "or Miss Ali, if you are more inclined to be formal. I'm afraid I am no lady."

He actually looked horrified at the idea of calling me by my first name, so I decided to try and spare his chivalrous nature. "And I would like it if you called me Ali," I hurriedly said, with a smile. "It is what my friends call me, and I would like us to be friends."

That certainly seemed to do it, because Reep calmed down almost instantly. "I would like that as well. If it is your wish, then, I will call you Ali."

"And for that, I thank you," I replied, trying not to laugh. "Is there something you would like from the shelves? A book or a scroll?"

"No, no," he said, waving aside my questions. "I merely wanted to meet the newest addition to the palace. I hope you will not mind my visiting here often, when I am able to keep you company."

The idea of hanging out with the Reepicheep was exhilarating. I'd always loved this Mouse, and was more than excited at being able to call him a friend. So I told him so. "I would be more than happy to receive you here, if you wish, or join you for tea elsewhere."

Reepicheep smiled broadly and bowed. "And I would be more than happy to do so. Perhaps in a few days time, we will meet again. Good day, Miss Ali."

Then he was gone, leaving me laughing as I stood there in the library. Beside me, Fang _whuffed_ at me through his nose. "You should have let me fight him. It would have been an excellent one."

I chuckled and bent to scratch him along the ears. "I'm sure it would have been, but I don't think the Professor would appreciate you two destroying his library in the process."

Fang gave a noise that was either a growl or a groan. "I suppose you are right," he muttered. "Still, to go against the Mouse Chief would be a great challenge."

Still muttering under his breath, he flopped in front of the fire to finish his nap, and I went back to shuffling through the mess the Professor and I had created. Fang might be grumpy from Reepicheep's visit, but I was more than thrilled.

'_Perhaps now things will start getting interesting_,' I pondered, shelving a scroll with a smile.

* * *

AN: Sorry, no Caspian yet, but we're getting closer to his appearance, I swear! Thanks for reading, and please review?


	7. Fitting In

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing _**Narnia **_related (though I wish I did!). Only original characters are mine.

AN: I'm mostly going with the movie versions of our favorite characters, particularly with Caspian. As much as I adore the BBC version, the movies are what really made me believe in Talking Mice and Lions. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 7: Fitting In:**

While reorganizing a library may be difficult, my job was actually the best job I could have asked for.

For the most part, Professor Cornelius did the hard work of sorting through everything, because he was the only one who knew where every sheet of paper, scroll, wall tapestry, and book was in the library, and what it was about.

Once he gathered something off of the shelves, he remembered exactly where it had been before, and could find something even if it was hidden beneath a sheet of paper or a book. That was why he was the one to fetch the books, bring them over, and hand them to me to shelve in its new spot along the walls. If a book was too heavy for him, or too large, I would be the one to get it, and on the rare occasion that not even the two of us could handle a book or stack of parchment, a servant would be summoned to help us.

About half of my day was dedicated to re-shelving the contents of the library, but after lunch, it was easy going. Once the Professor had his lunch and nap, he sat at his desk and began scribbling things down into a new historical text he was writing, one about the new King, Caspian X. While he worked, I sat nearby, reading anything I pleased until he asked me to fetch him a bit of paper, a quill, or ink.

Now, being someone's "go-fer" was a job that almost no one in my world wanted, but in this case, it wasn't so bad. I got to lounge by a fire, and fetch things about once or twice an hour for a kind old man. In return, I had a nice place to sleep and live, good food several times a day, and best of all, I got a free hour or two every day to take Roan out for a ride, or to go into town on my own. My free time in town, however, was mostly for dress fittings, which would not be fun if it weren't Lily the Faun doing the fitting.

My daily ride was the best time of day; it was only during this time that I could get together with both my animal friends. Fang was thrilled to stretch his legs and run alongside Roan, who in turn was happy to race our canine friend. We would run a mile or two outside the city, pause beside a stream for a break, and turn around and trot slowly back, savoring the warmth of the afternoon sun before returning to the castle. Sometimes we played 'tag' in the open meadows –Fang usually won, since he was faster than me, but able to evade being tagged by Roan.

Not that I ever felt confined or oppressed during the rest of my day. Professor Cornelius had decided early on that it was easier for a young woman to run into town on errands than it was for an older man such as him –thus, I was often called on to race to the local shops for certain items that could not be found in the castle, with Fang always accompanying me on these trips.

I never thought that Fang would be a 'city wolf,' but apparently he liked getting attention from passing children, who insisted on petting the 'doggie' and feeding him treats. My canine friend even enjoyed meeting other talking animals while I shopped, which I thought rather interesting.

And Fang wasn't the only one who accompanied me on my errands for the Professor. Whenever he found out I was going out, Reepicheep, the chivalrous Mouse that he was, sometimes insisted on going with me, explaining that a lady such as myself ought to have an escort, in case someone meant mischief towards me. Narnia seemed hardly the place to have thieves or ruffians, but it was nice having Reepicheep to talk to and joke with, so I let him come along. Besides, my oddly-timed trips to the shops were the only times I could spend time with him, since he did not wish to interrupt my work in the library with the Professor.

Just as I was beginning to settle in and feel as though I 'belonged,' I was able to make another new friend, one that I never thought I'd have the honor of meeting.

* * *

Besides Reepicheep, Trumpkin the Dwarf was another favorite of mine from the books. I knew about his gruff demeanor, but I also knew that he was a good friend of Queen Lucy, so he probably wasn't that bad. I had wanted to meet him since I'd started my new job, but with him being a close friend of the King, he was always busy seeing to one task or another. Besides, with me in the library or off on errands for Professor Cornelius, when would I have the time (or opportunity) to meet an advisor of King Caspian?

And as Murphy's Law would dictate, my first meeting with the infamous Dwarf came as a complete shock, when I did _not_ look my best.

* * *

It was a bright morning, and as always, I was inside, helping the Professor shelve his books. Actually, today we were shelving scrolls, and since scrolls tend to collect dust, I had dust bunnies in my hair, on my face, stuck to my clothes, and a few clung to my leather slipper-shoes. Professor Cornelius didn't look much better off than I did, but since he was a rather adorable little man, he managed to look relatively decent while I looked like something a cat would chase.

Luckily, the library was looking much more organized –well, in spite of the floating dust particles and such lying around. Still, after a month of effort, almost all of the books had been shelved, and about half of the scrolls were tucked safely in leather tubes, with labels engraved into them for easy locating.

The Professor and I were just putting the last of the geography scrolls away when someone entered and exclaimed, "Aslan's Mane, what happened in here?"

Okay, I had to admit that the main table was currently covered in scrolls (both opened and rolled up), as well as empty tubes that needed to be labeled; the occasional wooden box full of odd knickknacks; and a handful of stray quills. It may have looked a right mess, but it was, as the Professor and I called it, an "organized mess."

Both my mentor/employer and I turned around, me blowing a stray wisp of hair out of my eyes as Professor Cornelius grinned. "Trumpkin, my friend!" he cried, "Come in! It's been an age since I've seen you."

Trumpkin huffed a little through his nose. "Don't have much time to spare these days," he complained in a rough voice. "The two of us have got too much work to do, now that the coronation's over."

Professor Cornelius nodded his agreement. "That is true," he agreed, looking over the table and newly organized shelves. "With Caspian on the throne, I can display my full collection, rather than hiding the old Narnian histories as I used to. Perhaps they will do some good for those that follow us."

Trumpkin grunted a little, then turned and spotted me. I had been listening, but I probably looked like a dusty girl with a deer-in-the-headlights look on my face. He gave me a quick scan, while I did the same.

In the movie, Trumpkin had looked gruff and inapproachable, mostly because he was always ready for a fight for survival. He looked much different now, cleaned up and wearing silks and velvet trimmed with gold braid. His orange beard and hair were long and brushed out straight and neatly, following the Dwarf fashion. There was a bald spot on top of his head that was barely covered by a hat with a long feather, and a few gold chains dangled around his neck, making him look official.

The suspicious gleam in his eyes, though, was still there, and there was a slight hardness in them when they looked my way. I found myself swallowing nervously as he looked at me –it reminded me of my mom's favorite crime dramas, where the cops scrutinize someone before they began interrogating them.

"So, this is the new assistant I've heard about," he said, coming to stand at the bottom of the ladder I currently occupied. "Come down here, girl. I want a better look at you."

_That_ made something in me snap to attention, and not in a good way. Rather than being intimidated, I was put off at the tone in his voice. But since I didn't want to offend a friend of the Professor, I decided to step down to the floor and not make a scene. Instead, I took a casual stance, my arms crossed, and let him circle me as though I were a mare or a cow up for inspection.

Trumpkin studied me carefully, and when he came to stand in front of me, he nodded. "Reepicheep was right," he grumbled, "You'd have to be a good woman to win his approval, and if you work for Cornelius here, you have to be clever as well."

He looked me over again. "Doesn't mean I like or trust you, not when you're a newcomer."

I gave him a smile that was half a smirk. "Don't worry, I'll grow on you. It's one of those irritating things about me."

Trumpkin looked at me a minute, then smiled just the _tiniest_ bit. I felt a surge of accomplishment as he replied, "I'm sure you've got plenty of irritating qualities. Just be sure none of them bother Cornelius, or else you'll be facing me."

"And I know better than to cross _you_, Master Dwarf," I said, smiling as I saluted him and gave a slight bow. "Your ability to wield both sword and sharp tongue are as legendary as Reepicheep's."

Trumpkin actually chuckled a little at that. "Apparently my reputation precedes me. Alright, girl, get back to it. Perhaps I will visit again when you both aren't so consumed with work."

And then it was just the Professor and me, Trumpkin leaving me surprised and rather pleased at having made him laugh. '_I guess he's not so bad after all_.'

"Well, what do you think of him?" Professor Cornelius asked, smiling in that jolly way of his.

I returned his smile with one of my own. "I like him, even if he is a bit rough around the edges."

The Professor laughed. "He must like you as well, since he did not curse once at you. Reepicheep has a good judge of character, and Trumpkin values his opinion of people very highly."

I blushed, causing him to smile. With a wave of his hand, he motioned for me to get back to work, while he turned back to his historical book.

* * *

True to his word, Trumpkin came to visit us again the next afternoon, when both Professor Cornelius and I had finished shelving for the day. Tea had just been left by the servants, and Trumpkin arrived just as I was pouring the tea into the cups.

"Your impeccable timing always amazes me, my friend," joked my employer. "You always seem to arrive just when food is being served."

Trumpkin glowered at him, but I knew it was only half-hearted, at most. Rather than reply, he sat down and thanked me as I offered him my cup of tea, as we had no third cup to serve him. When he realized this, Trumpkin tried to return it, but I insisted that he have it, and that the two of them sit and talk while I went into town for some supplies the Professor needed.

"I insist," I told them both when they began to protest. "It seems that you haven't had much time to spend together as friends, and it would be rather awkward for all of us if I were to sit here and listen to you talk about people or things I don't know much about."

They accepted that, and agreed to let me go off on my errand. Leaving them to it, I ran up to my rooms to change and grab a few things. Like always, I put a long skirt on over my breeches –Professor Cornelius had insisted that, whenever I went into town, I go out in a skirt, so that I wouldn't "scandalize" anyone with my choice of attire. It was a constant joke between us, because I always rolled my eyes and made a face whenever I had to put on a skirt.

'_Not that I have anything against wearing a dress, but when I have to go trekking through a town market, I'd rather do it in pants_.'

I quickly picked up the list of things that were needed for the library, a small pouch of coins, and a basket. Ready to head out, I turned and found Fang waiting for me at the door. He looked eager to get out, and happily ran down the steps in an effort to race me. Laughing, I followed, calling out that I hadn't been ready and that he was cheating.

Our "races" downstairs was a new game that we'd invented, and the winner always got the loser a reward of some kind. If I won, Fang would spend an hour or two fetching things for me if I needed them; if he won, I bought him a few tidbits in town. Mostly, Fang won, but I did manage to outmaneuver him once and a while, so it wasn't entirely a one-sided race.

Unfortunately for me, this time I ended up coming to a halt when I ran smack into a tall man with dark hair at the foot of the steps. Just as I was about to fall flat on my butt, he reached out and caught me, helping me to get steady on my feet.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" I cried, righting myself. "Are you alright? You aren't hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm well," the fellow replied, his smile reaching from his eyes down to his mouth. "And you? You are not hurt, are you? You should be more careful, when you are in a rush to be somewhere."

I flushed. "Actually, I was racing my friend down from my rooms." Looking around, I called, "Fang, where are you?"

"Here," he said, coming up a nearby flight of stairs. "You lose, by the way. I made it all the way to the main floor, and here you are, still beside the library. You owe me a beef bone, this time."

The man beside me looked a bit remorseful. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to cause you to lose your race." He reached inside a pouch on his belt and pulled out a silver coin. "Here, it is the least I can do."

"Oh, no, it's alright," I said, motioning for him to put the coin back. "I would have lost anyway. Besides, Professor Cornelius doesn't mind my buying Fang something from the market, once and a while."

As the man smiled, I studied him a bit closer. He was very handsome, with a clean-shaven, youthful face that had a cleft chin which made it a bit more manly, rather than boyish. He had set of dark brown eyes that glittered down at me, wide and soulful, as though he had seen more in his life than other young men should. His dark hair was longish and wavy, very suitable for his age and face, and it went well with the blue velvets and silks he wore. Most of the other men I had seen had shorter hair, making this fellow stand out.

Actually, he looked familiar, though I couldn't quite place it…

"You know Professor Cornelius?" he asked, delighted.

I nodded. "I work for him. My name is Alandra, but most call me Ali, for short."

He grinned. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ali," he said, taking my hand and pressing a kiss to it. "I have heard of you from Professor Cornelius. If you are as clever and hardworking as he's told me, I could not imagine a more suitable assistant for him."

Of course, that was when Professor Cornelius appeared from the library, and cried, "Caspian, my boy! It's been too long since you've come to see me at my library." He turned to me and smiled. "And I see that you have met my new assistant, Ali."

All at once, I felt my face go pale. Well, now I knew why he looked so familiar –he looked like the actor from the movies! It seems that Lewis wasn't the only creative mind Aslan has been messing with, if the actor from the film so closely resembled the actual King himself! It also made me wonder how else this might resemble the film, or the books –or neither one.

Snapping back to the present, I murmured, "Your Majesty," immediately sinking into a proper curtsy.

Yes, I know how to curtsy. It was something I'd taught myself when I was little, doing what little girls did best: pretending I was a princess and very much needing to know how to curtsy whenever I met another royal personage.

This, however, I had not imagined. Running into the King of Narnia in the hallway was _not_ part of the plan, and I couldn't be more embarrassed. My cheeks had gone from pale to flaming red, and my stomach was doing flips as I rose from my curtsy. Professor Cornelius looked surprised, as though he didn't expect me to know how to bow to royalty, while Fang looked rather impressed. The King, however, seemed rather sad at my knowing who he was.

And just when I needed it most, Professor Cornelius saved me. "Ali, my dear, you might want to run into town before it gets dark," he said, giving me a gentle push towards the steps going down.

Nodding, I gave the King one last curtsy and made a break for it, Fang running along beside me.

* * *

Once I was out in the marketplace, I was able to wipe my unfortunate encounter with King Caspian from my brain, at least for a little while. The buzz of people around me was a good distraction, and my shopping for the Professor was a much needed bit of "retail therapy."

As promised, I bought Fang a nice beef bone from a butcher, as well as some parchment, special quills for the Professor's desk, and a knife for cutting the pens. There was also a bakery in town that made little tea cakes the Professor adored, and so I bought a few of those as well.

When my list was checked off, I turned and made for the castle, walking slowly in the hopes that I would get there after the King had left the Professor, therefore avoiding any possible encounters with him.

'_That was __**so**__ not how I planned to meet the great Caspian X_!' I silently groaned to myself.

To be honest, I'd really had no plans or expectations of meeting the King. I hadn't thought at all about how I would be introduced to him, or what I would end up saying to him on that meeting. Running smack into him like that had been a trip, but at least I now knew what he looked like, so that if we met again, I would know how to greet him.

"You're very quiet," Fang said as we entered the castle. "Is it because of your meeting with the King? He seemed to rather like you, even if you did run into him in an ungraceful way."

I blushed. "Don't make it worse than it actually is," I grumbled, approaching the steps leading up to my rooms. "Come on, I need to change and get back to the library for dinner."

Twenty minutes later, I was at the open library door, where to my relief, Professor Cornelius was alone. He looked up at my knock, and smiled.

"You should not be so intimidated by the King, my dear," he said, coming to take the basket from me. "He's a good man, and was rather hurt when you became so formal with him. He does not care much for ceremony, unless it is necessary, and I think he would like to get to know you better."

He hesitated a moment. "Ali, I must admit something to you. Fang, please close the door, would you?"

When Fang had done as asked, Professor Cornelius sat me down in a chair and looked intensely at me with his blue eyes. "Ali, I have not known you long, but from what I have been able to gather about you, I have guessed that you are not someone who is from Narnia, or its neighbors."

Swallowing hard, I looked down at my hands, wondering what to say next. I guess the cat was out of the bag, and it was time to confess everything.

"I do not think less of you for hiding this fact from me, though I do find it rather puzzling," he said, reaching under my chin to make me look up. "If you have been sent here as the old Kings and Queens were, you must have a purpose, and should be brought before the King."

I panicked. "No, please don't," I begged, wringing my hands.

He looked shocked, but allowed me to continue. I told him of my being brought here by Aslan himself, and of the task that had been set upon me. That only made the Professor want to bring me to the King's attention even more, but I refused.

"I do not want to become the King's friend and confidant merely because Aslan sent me," I firmly told him. "I want to be liked for myself, and _earn_ his trust rather than have it handed to me based on my connection to the Great Lion."

The Professor was clearly unhappy with this, but he reluctantly agreed to it. "Your desire to prove yourself is an admirable trait, and one that nearly matches the nature of Caspian himself," he said, smiling slightly in spite of himself. "Very well, we will try this your way. But I should warn you, my dear Ali, that Caspian already has it in mind to meet you again tomorrow, if only because he wishes to remain on good terms with my new assistant."

Sighing, I shook my head. This was definitely not how I pictured things, but since the proverbial 'can of worms' had been opened, I suppose I might as well get started on the task Aslan had set on me.

"Alright, I'll meet with him," I grudgingly acquiesced. "But promise that you won't say a word about why I'm here!"

He promised, and went to ring for dinner from the palace kitchens, leaving me to my thoughts. This was either all a coincidence, or it was some deeper power working at throwing me together with Caspian today in the hallway. I didn't know whether to call it Fate or Aslan's Will, but whatever it was, today I was clearly meant to meet Caspian and start our journey together as friends.

'_I guess I put it off long enough_,' I thought, biting back a sigh. '_I've been here for weeks already, and hadn't even tried to meet the King. Perhaps I was hiding too much here in the library, and now it's time to get this show on the road_.'

As dinner was brought in and served, I barely managed to choke down the delicious meal and somehow was able to keep it down even as I went up to my room to get ready for bed. As I lay there, staring at the stone ceiling, I couldn't help but think how I was definitely _not_ looking forward to my next run-in with the king!

* * *

AN: Yes, she's met Caspian! Now the fun can begin. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!


	8. Friends in High Places

Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to _**The Chronicles of Narnia**_. Only original characters belong to me.

AN: Here we are; another chapter! There's more Ali and Caspian in this one, with a bit of 'bonding' added to the mix. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 8: Friends in High Places:**

As luck would have it, the next day, we did _not_ receive our promised visit from King. He was called away to business with his council, and I was given a nice bit of breathing space to prepare myself for future encounters.

And so, during the hours when Professor Cornelius was so focused on his work that I became practically invisible, I sat and tried to think of what I would say when the King asked me questions that I couldn't answer honestly.

If he asked where I was from, I could tell him the story I'd given everyone: that I was from Archenland, and came to Narnia in search of a fresh start. However, knowing my luck, there would be a visiting ambassador from Archenland here at the Narnian court, and if we were introduced, I would be in major trouble. Anyone from Archenland would instantly know that I wasn't from that country, and then I would have to spill the truth.

'_I guess I could say that I'm from somewhere beyond Narnia's borders_,' I frantically thought, staring at the book in my lap. '_Someplace no one had heard of_.'

There had to be stretches of land out there that no one had seen or discovered yet, right? Heck, no one had even explored beyond the Lone Islands in centuries, so there were bound to be places in this world that had yet to be heard of.

'_Not the North, though. There are giants up there, and if I remember '__**The Silver Chair'**__ correctly, some of them eat humans_.'

Going over the maps I had seen here in the library, South was out of the question, since there was Archenland, a great desert, and the Calormen Empire, which was an enemy of Narnia. East was the sea, which could work, since the Telmarines hadn't dared to build anywhere near the ruins of Cair Paravel, or along the coastline. West might be a good idea, too, since there was a great stretch of land cushioned between Telmar and Narnia, but it was mostly known to be uninhabited.

"You worry too much, Ali," Professor Cornelius said, breaking into my thoughts. "I know what you're thinking, and can put those thoughts of yours to rest. Caspian knows that you are not from Narnia, but he merely thinks you come from a small village from the West. He will not ask any uncomfortable questions, as I have told him that you had a difficult life, and rough travels getting here."

He looked up to meet my eyes with his amused ones. "Now, try to relax. You are distracting me from this book, which I am desperately trying to finish before winter arrives!"

Considering winter was several months away at least, I chuckled and allowed myself to sink back into my chair, the leather cushions embracing me so perfectly that I was comfortable within seconds.

It _was_ rather stupid of me, not to consider speaking with Professor Cornelius about my situation. He had helped me in every other way, so why not with my cover story for the King? After all, he knew King Caspian better than anyone else, and knew how he would react to whatever tale we gave him.

'_At least now I have some breathing space_,' I thought with a quiet sigh. '_I don't know how much I have exactly, but it's a lot more than I had before_.'

Setting my feet on my footstool, I sat back to enjoy my book, listening to the sounds of pen on paper, the fire crackling in its grate, and to Fang's quiet snores as he napped.

* * *

When the King didn't show up after three days, I decided that he probably wouldn't for quite some time. Being the ruler of a country had to take a lot of time and effort, so it was possible that he wouldn't show up for weeks yet.

That, however, had me torn. As much as being around royalty unnerved me, avoiding him would get me nowhere in gaining Caspian's trust and friendship. If I didn't get off my butt and do something, I'd be failing Aslan, and I could not live with myself if that happened.

Sighing, I picked up a rather large book and climbed up a ladder to one of the higher shelves, careful to keep my balance until I got the text into its proper place. Once the book was settled safely, I headed downwards, and almost slipped on the second-to-last rung. A pair of firm, gentle hands grasped my waist and helped me down to the ground, not letting go until I safely had two feet firmly on the floor.

Looking up, I flushed and quickly dipped into a polite bow to my rescuer, since I was in pants and not a skirt. King Caspian, meanwhile, looked at me in surprise, and when I had straightened from my bow, graciously returned it with a polite nod of his head.

"I have never seen women wear breeches before," he said, puzzled as he took in my attire. "Is that the traditional garb where you are from, in the distant West?"

I blushed. "No, not really, Your Majesty," I admitted, as I seriously doubted that any female in Narnia wore pants except me. "I'm afraid I was tired of wearing dresses and skirts, so I changed to men's clothing. It's far more comfortable, and very practical when it comes to going up and down ladders."

He gave a laugh, one that was full of good humor, and nothing negative. "I can see how it would be. Come, I would like to speak with you, if you are free to do so."

My stomach dropped, and I must have looked worried or nervous, because the King smiled at me and offered me a hand, like a gentleman. "Do not look so worried," he said soothingly. "I merely wish to talk with the new assistant of my old tutor."

Taking his hand (which was rather callused for a royal hand), I let him lead me to the chairs before the fireplace, where Fang lay comfortably, watching us. Caspian nodded towards the canine and asked if he would join us. Fang agreed, and winked discreetly at me as I took a seat across from the King of Narnia.

There was a brief uncomfortable silence, and when things began to get a little tense, I decided to bite the bullet and take the first step. "Was there something you wished to ask or talk to be about, Majesty?" I asked politely, while my insides prayed that some sort of emergency would call him away _right now_.

He smiled at me, a charming smile from a very handsome man who probably didn't even know how good-looking he was. From the honest look in his eyes, it was clear that Caspian X didn't know how appealing his looks were.

"Please, you may call me Caspian," he insisted. "You are a friend of Professor Cornelius, and if he counts you as a friend, then I know I may as well."

That was a good sign, and certainly a first step towards what Aslan wanted me to do. Clasping my hands in my lap, I realized that I truly wanted to become friends with Caspian –not because I had to, on Aslan's orders, but because I thought that this man would actually be worth getting to know.

"Well, then, Caspian," I said cheerfully, "What is it I can do for you?"

He looked a bit surprised at my straightforwardness, but also seemed appreciative of it. "I would like to know how you came to be here, and why," Caspian replied, relaxing into his chair just a little. "I have been so preoccupied with my duties that I rarely leave the council chambers, or my own, and have been looking forward to meeting you for some time."

I had to blush. "Oh, there is not much to tell," I replied with a shrug. "Things were difficult in my small village, and I chose to leave to seek a better life here in Narnia. The Talking Animals who dwelled nearby spoke of there being a new king, so I chose to travel here and begin anew.

"During my journey, I came across a Talking Horse named Roan, who I saved from this beast here," I teased, nodding at Fang, who sniffed haughtily at me. "I had wounded Great Fang with my small knife in an effort to save Roan, but could not bear to see him suffer and die alone in the woods, so I tried my best to help him. This in turn earned me his friendship, and they both accompanied me here. I count them great friends, and trust them with my life."

"And then you met the Professor in town," Caspian finished, smiling. "He told me you helped him with his books and papers when no one else would. That was very kind of you."

My cheeks reddened even more, making him chuckle. Then he suddenly turned grim. "But I do not like the idea of your being so unprepared for such a journey. You left your village alone, unarmed but for a single blade as your means of defense?"

At my nod, he shook his head. "I do not know if you are mad or brave beyond belief," he admitted.

"It's amazing how those two traits coincide," I said, quoting one of my favorite movies.

Caspian laughed, a joyful, deep sound that left me smiling. '_Note to self: make him laugh more often_,' I told myself. I had a feeling he hadn't had much to laugh about in his life, and an old saying was, "Laughter is the best medicine."

Part of me noted that Caspian looked very handsome when he laughed, but I squashed that down quickly. He may be extremely hot, but Caspian was meant to marry a star's daughter, and was off limits in every way. It would _not_ be a good idea to have a crush on the King of Narnia. Besides, I was here to help him become a great and good ruler, not to pine after him like all the other women in the kingdom were probably doing.

"You are quite right about that," Caspian said, grinning. "Well, after today, you are going to be trained in learning to defend yourself. I know that you go out on rides outside the castle walls, and I want you able to fight off any dangers you might encounter."

I looked at him, very skeptic. "I mean no offense, sire, but what dangers could possibly be out there now that you are king?" I asked, wondering if he saw me as a 'weak woman' who couldn't handle being outside of castle walls once or twice a day.

He gave me an amused look that made me blink twice. "That may be true, but I do believe that, if you are indeed slightly mad, then you will need a way to keep yourself safe when no one is there to help in your time of bravery."

I grinned, more than happy to go along with the teasing. "I doubt much can happen in the open fields surrounding the city," I said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Besides, who would teach me? Even after seeing the great Queen Susan and Queen Lucy in battle, I doubt that many of your soldiers would approve of a woman learning the sword, or the bow."

Caspian looked thoughtful. "You may be right. I will have to teach you to fight myself."

I stared at him, not quite sure if I'd heard him correctly. "I'm sorry; you said _what_ now?" I blurted out, barely keeping myself from cursing in surprise. My break from the correct form of speech didn't seem to be noticed -or if it was, Caspian paid it no mind, likely due to my being an 'outlander.'

"I will teach you to defend yourself," he replied, fully calm and determined. "It will do us both good. I will speak to the Professor about this, and we can begin in a week or two, when everything has been made ready and I am able to find a day for us to practice."

I didn't have time to protest, for at that moment, Professor Cornelius came in and insisted that we all have tea together. As we sipped our tea, I tried to figure out if weapon lessons with Caspian would be so bad after all –after all, I was supposed to get close to him, and though I detested puns, this might be the best time for getting him to let his guard down.

Nibbling on a cucumber sandwich, I prayed that I wouldn't get hurt. '_If I lose any fingers during my training sessions, Aslan is going to owe me big_.' That was daring of me to think, but fingers are wonderful things to have.

At least I had a few more days to cherish having them.

* * *

After tea, Caspian left for a bit of 'royal business,' and invited Professor Cornelius along with him, leaving me alone with a sleeping Fang for company. The servants had already cleared out most of the dirty tea dishes, but all substantial amounts of food were left behind for a later snack.

Sighing, I looked at the food left behind and wondered what to do with myself. I did not feel like reading, and no doubt Roan would be enjoying an afternoon nap or snack of his own, so a ride out of the city wasn't going to happen.

A soft chirp from the open windows drew my attention, and I went to see what was up. It was a tiny starling, and it was pecking at the stone gutter that ran just below the window, apparently searching for a meal. Feeling sorry that it wasn't finding anything, I snatched up a bit of bread crust and bent a little out the window to crumble it, scattering a few bits in front of the starling, which fluttered a short distance away in surprise.

"It's alright," I softly told it. "It's just bread, baked fresh today. I don't think birds like butter, but the bread is good by itself. See?" I put a tiny bite into my mouth to show it was eatable. "Come on, it's alright."

The bird hopped a bit closer and began to peck at a bit of the crust that I had scattered about. It stopped, appeared to think about what it had eaten, then went back to it. I watched in amusement as it repeated this act twice, then flew off, apparently satisfied.

Laughing, I went back to work, shelving books that Professor Cornelius had set aside for me. I had shelved three books before I heard what sounded like several flapping wings outside the window. Putting down the book I was holding, I turned and almost fell over in surprise. There were half a dozen different species of birds there, _looking_ at me!

I had to quickly repeat to myself that this was Narnia, and not an Alfred Hitchcock film, otherwise I would have begun freaking out. As it was, the starling I had fed earlier (or one like it) flew in to land on the table before me, and cheeped. It didn't speak, just cheeped, and very insistently. I quickly figured out that it wanted me to feed its friends, and couldn't tell if that was a good idea or not.

"You should feed them," Fang groaned from his place beside the fire. "It's what they want, and since they say they like bread, you may as well give them what you have left. It isn't as though you, the Professor or I will eat it, and you know it will only go to waste later."

He was right. Sighing, I looked first at the starling, then at its friends. "Alright, but just the seven of you, alright?" I asked, looking at them firmly. "I can't be feeding all of the birds in Narnia, so it's going to just be the seven of you."

They all made various noises of agreement, and I nodded at them. "Back outside, then," I ordered, shooing them with my hands. "Professor Cornelius won't take kindly to bird messes in his library, and _I_ would have to clean it up! I'll fetch the bread; you just wait a moment."

The birds did as I asked, and I went to tear the last slice of bread in half. When I had it in hand, I returned to the window and began scattering food for seven pairs of pleading, beady little eyes.

* * *

And that was how I soon had seven new friends over after tea, all of whom were more than happy to show their thanks by bringing me flowers from the royal gardens. There was only one bird who could talk like Roan and Fang could, a red-winged blackbird, and he always voiced his thanks to me for feeding him.

"Insects can get a bit dull after a while, and the only other person I can convince to feed me a bit of your kind of food is a Faun who lives miles away," the blackbird, called Inkwing, told me. "We all like the foods that you do, but rarely get it. The only bits we can find are things dropped in the dirt, and when that happens, it ruins the flavor."

The other birds, however, were merely the descendants of Talking Birds, and who could not speak themselves. But they could perfectly understand what I was saying to them, and over the next few days, I often ended up having one-sided conversations with them. I would say something; they would then cheep, chirp, or squawk in reply, and if Fang or Inkwing were around, they would translate the birds' replies.

When Professor Cornelius found out what I was doing, he heartily approved, and even asked the servants to bring extra foods that he thought birds might like. So our usual afternoon tea now included slices of bread, a biscuit of both the sweet and savory varieties, and a slice of cake, all for the birds who had come to be my friends.

With all of these wonderful animals as my friends, I was quickly beginning to feel like Snow White or Cinderella. But that sugary, happy feeling crashed downward when, as promised, I received a note from Caspian.

* * *

It was two weeks after our talk together, and the message, which had both the royal seal and Caspian's signature on it, stated that our first lesson together would be this afternoon, before tea.

Suddenly, I had a major wish to be anywhere but here in the castle. Fighting was not a forte of mine, and I had a feeling that this was going to be a disaster.

'_Then again, I'll be spending time with Caspian, which is what Aslan would want_.'

But I seriously doubted that me impaling myself on a sword was not what he would want, or could have even imagined. I had no experience with swords, bows, arrows, or knives –hiding behind a shield was more my style, or being as far away from a battlefield as possible.

'_Maybe, if I work at it, these lessons will give me confidence_,' I tried telling myself while I reread Caspian's note for the fifth time.

"Ali, you have been looking at that note for ten minutes," Professor Cornelius huffed, though his tone was teasing. "Stop fretting! Caspian is a good man, and he will make sure that no harm will come to you under his instruction."

"But he's never taught someone to fight before, has he?" I asked, beginning to panic.

He reached over and took the note from my hands. "Caspian will not let any harm come to you," he repeated firmly. "He is very skilled, and patient. Now, eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

He sounded so much like my grandmother, I had to obey him. My tea went down my throat, though it didn't taste sweet, as it usually did. My stomach churned as I ate my bacon, eggs, and toast, which I somehow managed to choke down. The inside of my head was filled with images of me tripping, falling, or worse, causing such serious accidental harm to Caspian that the Telmarines decided to throw me off of the castle's highest tower.

'_Oh, man, I am __**so**__ in over my head here_,' I silently groaned to myself as I finished eating and got to work.

As I began to shelve a few scrolls, I prayed that the afternoon took its time getting here.

* * *

AN: More fun to happen next chapter! Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!


	9. Bonding with a King

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**The Chronicles of Narnia**_ (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: With the end of my _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_ story, I will be able to focus all of my creative energies on Narnia. This will likely mean more updates each week, but it all depends on whether or not my brain is willing to cooperate.

In the meantime, in regards to this chapter: I'm going to fast-forward things a bit towards the end, because I know everyone won't want to be bored out of their minds by reading a lot of "filler" chapters. So please enjoy, and don't forget to review! Thanks!

**Chapter 9: Bonding with a King:**

As I fed my new bird friends the remnants of my luncheon, I tried very hard not to be scared out of my wits. My feathered friends seemed to sense my anxiety, and tried to help calm my nerves by singing to me, preening my hair, and settling down in my lap so they could chatter up at me. It was very sweet, and I had to admit, it did help, if only a little.

To thank them for their efforts, I crumbled up a bit of cake with dried fruit bits in it, which the servants had included with the afternoon meal. Of course, the birds went crazy for it, and I quickly made a note to myself to have that same cake handy whenever the birds did me a favor, or tried to help me.

Meanwhile, the Professor did everything he could to help distract me, namely by piling a bunch of work on me. I was told to organize papers, shelve books, stack and organize a bunch of scrolls, and dust the shelves that hadn't been filled yet. He kept me so busy, I'm surprised I didn't meet myself coming and going!

In the end, his plan worked a little _too_ well, because I was working so hard that the day passed quickly, and the next thing I knew, it was time for my first fighting lesson with Caspian.

* * *

When the clock chimed the hour, I dragged myself back to my room and changed into a set of comfortable clothes that were easy to move around in. Even though I was new to the whole weaponry thing, I knew that tight clothing was a bad idea, even though it looked cool wearing and fighting in it in action movies. I mean, how could a person breathe and move in skin-tight leather?

I went for subtle garments that looked like they could take a beating, and called them my "fighting clothes." This was a dusty brown shirt, matching leggings, boots, and a handkerchief that I turned into a bandana, to keep the sweat out of my eyes. I could beat these up, get them dirty, and not have to worry about them.

The only tight thing I had on was a form-fitting leather vest provided by the Professor, who wanted to keep my – ahem, _upper assets_ – pressed as closely against me as possible. It was kind of funny watching him explain the whole thing to me, but I knew why he suggested it, and agreed with him. I was a little "heavy on the top decks," so having such a tight garment would prevent quite a bit of discomfort later.

Once I was dressed, I sat in the library, and waited until a servant came to take me to the practice yards. I couldn't help but nervously chew my lower lip as we wound through the castle, finally emerging in a large circular area at the edge of the castle.

The floor was packed down dirt, and there was a fence made of dark wood that enclosed it, keeping spectators back from those who practiced. A long building stood across from where I had entered, and from what I could glimpse through an open doorway in it, that had to be where they stowed the practice weapons and padding for practice. There were also a few dummies standing against the buildings, but the yard itself was void of everything except one person: Caspian.

Swallowing hard, I nodded my thanks to the servant, who took himself off with a grin of amusement. I glared at his back as he disappeared, but put on a pleasant face for the king, who smiled and greeted me warmly.

Where I had dressed in brown, he had on black and grey. His breeches, boots, and belt were black, but his shirt was a shining grey that was almost like dulled silver. His long hair was tied back, and I realized that I ought to have done the same with my own locks, which currently hung down my back.

Seeing my shamed look, Caspian chuckled. "Don't worry, I brought spares," he said, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a leather tie. "Here you are."

I took the tie and quickly put my hair up into a braid. Taking a deep breath, I gave him a hesitant smile. "Well, I suppose I'm ready. What do I do now?"

For fifteen minutes or so, Caspian taught me to stretch and warm up my muscles, and to make sure I wasn't too tense and nervous about this whole thing (even though I was). Once he was satisfied, he took me into the storage building, where he began outfitting me with the proper gear. I was soon covered in arm guards, leg guards, a helmet, and even a neck guard, though the helmet and neck guard wouldn't likely be needed for a long while yet.

As he put a sword into my hand, I started at it, then looked up at him, for he stood a good head and shoulders above me. "Sire, why are you doing this?" I asked, puzzled.

He looked at me in surprise. "I want to be sure you are able to defend yourself," he said, as though it should be obvious. "Though I am king and many have accepted my rule, there might be those who do not approve of my uniting the country together, and they will be dangerous to anyone who crosses their path. I want you to be safe."

Then he smiled at me. "And please, call me Caspian. You are a friend of the Professor's, and therefore a friend of mine."

I blushed. "No, that's not what I meant," I replied, looking at the weapon in my hand. "I meant, why are _you_ doing this? You could have ordered one of your soldiers to teach me. I'm sure you have more important things to do than teach a librarian's assistant to fight."

I swallowed hard as Caspian put a hand on my shoulder, causing me to look back up at him. "My soldiers are not known for their patience, I'm afraid. They are good men, but I fear what would happen should one of them lose their tempers in teaching a woman to fight. And I dare not let you train with a Centaur or Faun, for they are tremendously skilled, and might accidentally harm you."

Oh, well, that made sense, I guess. Nodding my understanding, I followed him into the empty practice yard and watched as he took a relaxed stance. Staring blankly at him, I stood there, wondering why he was suddenly looking me over with narrowed eyes.

"I do not think you will ever be a great fighter or warrior, but you will at least be able to hold your own until you can escape, or help arrives," he said decidedly. "The fact that you ride -and according to your horse, you ride quite well- helps."

I scowled indignantly at him. "If you call me fat, puffy, weak, or any other sort of insult towards that definition, you will regret it, sire," I flatly told him, one hand on my hip.

He chuckled. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry, I was merely seeing what sort of physical shape you are in. You are not as bad as some, but worse than others. I think, though, that you will be in finer shape after practicing several times a week."

Yeah, like I didn't have better, more important things to do! I did have a job, and my duties to him were high on my priority list.

Then again, I'm sure Aslan would approve of my hanging out with Caspian a few times a week, so why not? And besides, the exercise would be good for me –the last thing I needed was to become a round blob after too much sitting in the library!

Well, first things first: I had to learn to hold a sword.

After holding the stupid thing in several different ways, I quickly decided that I was _not_ going to be hauling anything like this while I went horseback riding! It was big, bulky, heavy as hell, and annoying. This practice sword was bad enough, but a real one was going to be impossible for me to use, and was in no way sensible.

'_Not even Susan and Lucy had to use a sword_!' I complained to myself, wiping sweat from my forehead. '_Susan had a bow; Lucy had a small knife. Why the heck is he teaching me the sword, then_?'

"I think a knife or small blade would be better," I told Caspian, when he tried to get me to lift the sword again. "Don't you agree?"

He could immediately see there would be no arguing with me, and even looked a bit embarrassed. "Perhaps you are right. In my days of training, we had to be familiar with the sword, in case there was war between the two peoples. Now that there is peace, you will not need to wield one. A knife, either short or long, will suffice."

Trying very hard not to look relieved, I merely smiled at him and let him take the practice weapon from me. Freed of my burden, I flexed and popped my wrist a few times, and almost wept in relief as he returned with two pairs of knives: two short, two long.

"We will see what you are more comfortable with, and work from there," Caspian declared.

Oh, thrills. I could hardly wait to see how I embarrassed myself further in front of royalty!

The long knives turned out to be too much like the sword, but the short knives proved more promising. Caspian said it was mostly for close combat, and insisted that I learn to use the long knives, but only _after_ I had made progress with the short ones.

"Would it be possible for me to learn archery as well?" I asked, thinking of the practice bows. "I've always wanted to learn the bow and arrow."

He stared at me in surprise, and I could swear I saw something flash in those brown eyes of his. It looked like I had stirred up a bit of sorrow in him, and that was when something tickled the back of my mind. In the movie, Caspian had had a crush on Queen Susan, whose weapon was the bow. Now, with my request to learn archery, he was remembering Susan! Major 'oops' on my part.

That was when his expression cleared, and Caspian became his usual self. "Of course, if you'd like. But first, let us begin with these."

Nodding, I decided to keep quiet about what I had seen, and settled in to learn what he could teach me.

* * *

Learning weaponry is hard, and I mean _hard_. It might not be so bad if I actually had some enthusiasm about the whole thing, but using sharp pointy objects on others seriously wasn't appealing to me.

Knives are difficult, and it wasn't long before I had grown to dread going to weapon's practice. I didn't like aching the night away as I slept, because my muscles hurt when I went to bed, and even though I was exhausted, I couldn't get a good night's sleep. Even though I still had my bottle of aspirin, I tried to make it last as long as possible, particularly since aspirin hadn't been invented yet in Narnia, and I did _not_ want to try it's herbal equivalent, which probably wasn't as effective.

After a week of learning knives, I knew that learning to fight was a very bad idea. I was never going to be that far from the city's walls, and I would have two perfectly good guards with me: Roan and Fang. If Roan couldn't get me away from danger fast enough, Fang would surely provide a good defender and distraction while Roan raced out of there, me on his back. Why did I have to know how to fight?

Besides, even though I was willing to kick some serious butt if someone I knew was in trouble, that didn't mean that I wanted to learn how to use a weapon on someone. Hypocritical, I know, but I tended to lean towards defense or running away, rather than offense and engaging an opponent head-on -that just wasn't me.

I tried to bring this up to Reepicheep and Trumpkin on one of their visits to the library, but they seemed to think that my learning to fight was a good idea. They probably meant well, but after more than a thousand years of living under the threat of extinction from Telmarine hands, it was no wonder they thought every Narnian ought to know how to protect themselves.

Professor Cornelius, however, agreed with me. "You will never go near a battlefield, nor will you find anyone willing to attack a woman on horseback, with a Wolf as a companion. I think it is foolish that the King waste not only your time, but his own on this endeavor."

Plus, crime in Narnia was nonexistent. Unlike my own world, there was no fear of robberies, muggings, hold ups, or murders. And Narnia _was_ a magical land, where such horrible things did not occur. There might be the occasional 'disagreement' between men in town, but if there was always a passing guardsman who broke things up before they went too far.

When I broke the news to Caspian at the beginning of my second week of training, he considered my argument. "Perhaps you are right," he said, looking at the dull, blunted blades I had been using. "Perhaps war and danger have too long been ingrained in me and my people. But Narnia is far from being at peace. There is still the Calormen Empire to the south, who have long been our enemies, and who likely now think Narnia to be weak after the downfall of my Uncle and his followers."

He sighed. "And there are the Giants to the north, who have not been Narnia's friends since the end of the Golden Age. War might still come, and I wish for you to be ready, even if you are never near a battlefield. If you were to encounter an enemy, even here, I wish for you to be able to protect yourself from harm."

The pleading look he gave me was sincere, and I found it oddly touching. Caspian seemed to genuinely want me to know how to take care of myself, and the worry in his eyes told me that his fears were very real.

Besides, he was right. I distinctly remembered the Calormen people being a thorn in Narnia's side since High King Peter's time, and so I knew that until Caspian dealt them a sound thrashing, they would continue to be an annoyance and danger to the kingdom. I doubted the existence of assassins here in Narnia, but if a war ever did come up, Caspian would need every fighter he could get, male or female. And if war did arrive, I had every intention of keeping the king, my newest friend, safe.

I sighed. "Alright, let's try this again."

Then he smiled, and for a moment, everything was alright.

* * *

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and soon, the next thing I knew, I had been in Narnia for over six months.

It didn't seem like it, what with my days spent helping Professor Cornelius with his research, or looking up facts that he could use in the Council sessions he attended, at Caspian's request. I also helped organize all of the new texts, scrolls and other written records that came into my employer's possession, and made sure that he ate all of his meals and took a nap once a day (for his health).

Late afternoons were spent riding Roan out of the city gates, with Fang trailing behind, all three of us enjoying the weather and the feel of the wind in our faces as we raced over open meadows and fields. Both of them would have gone to fat if it weren't for our rides, and I think that they both liked running freely over the fields during nice weather. It was liberating for all of us, after spending all day indoors.

My rides outdoors were promptly followed by my weapons training with Caspian, which, if I was lucky, happened only two or three times a week. If I was _unlucky_, I got to spend more time getting my butt kicked by Caspian, who really was doing his best to help me improve.

But my favorite time of day was the evenings. These I spent with Fang, Professor Cornelius, Trumpkin (if he could get away from his duties as a Lord Chancellor), and Reepicheep, whenever he was in the city and not out with his followers in the forest. We would sit together, have supper, play chess or checkers, talk, laugh, joke, and tell stories until quite late. It was fun having them as friends, although sometimes I did wish for a female friend to have "girl talk" with.

Unfortunately, spring, summer and fall never last long, not even in Narnia. They still had winter, even with the White Witch's end, and snow on the ground meant the possibility of ice.

Normally, I loved winter, while summer was my least-favorite season. That had been back home, though, and here in Narnia, I quickly learned that each season's weather was far better than it was back in my world. I had survived the end of summer, which barely had a handful of truly uncomfortably hot days, and was surprisingly pleasant. Autumn had been divine, with a delicious crispness to the air that had been perfect for riding in.

Winter, however, was not a good thing to experience, particularly when living in a medieval-style castle without central heating. I'd had to go to Lily the Faun's clothing shop and buy almost an entire wardrobe's worth of winter clothes, which left me financially broke for nearly a month.

I also had a thing against wearing fur (a trait carried over from my own world), so all of my clothes were instead made of sheep or lamb's wool. I had wool shirts, leggings, socks, caps, and gloves, but not underwear, which would have driven me crazy. My undershirts, underwear, and other 'delicates' were instead made of soft silk or velvet, to protect my skin from the harshness of my wool clothing, and I felt very spoiled at having silk for underwear –if it hadn't been for the Professor's generosity, I wouldn't have been able to afford such stuff.

And though the change of seasons, my weapon's training continued.

* * *

Caspian was a good teacher –he was patient with me throughout all of my clumsy footwork, and with my hesitation when it came to attacking him in the practice ring. Actually, my hesitation was a secret fear of what would happen to me if I accidentally slipped and hurt him, causing me to become the target of many unhappy Telmarines and Narnians. I never told _him_ that, though.

Learning to fight as an adult is hard work, and I could see why most started at a young age. Lucky for me, my teacher was the King, who had the ability to order the practice areas completely cleared of anyone who wanted to come watch us practice. I was spared a lot of humiliation this way, and best of all, I didn't have to feel eyes focused on me as I trained.

Thanks to Caspian, I wasn't as hopeless as I thought myself to be, and actually made some progress when learning to wield a knife. My hands now sported numerous cuts, scrapes, and nicks, but most of my injuries weren't serious, and normally healed within a few days.

In archery, I fared much better. Since I'd always been obsessed with the bow and arrow, my favorite part of high school had been when the teachers dragged out the old targets and archery equipment, and spent an entire two weeks teaching us to shoot. I wasn't a natural, but I was still good enough to at least hit the target nine times out of ten, even if I rarely hit the bull's-eye.

After months under Caspian's careful and patient eye, my archery skills had improved to the point where I could hit either the center target, or very close to it. My fingers now bore calluses, and my wrists and arms were stronger, which made lifting the Professor's books much easier.

And much to my disappointment, my lessons in weaponry did not cease with the coming of winter.

Though I had been forced to confine myself to the interiors of the city and castle walls, it didn't mean things were boring. In fact, things were boring for everyone _except_ for me, because winter meant no one went anywhere. Oh, there were winter parties, and days where people went sledding and ice skating, or had snowball fights, but for the most part, everyone kept indoors to stay warm.

Unfortunately, being indoors so long without anything to do gave Caspian cabin fever, and since the Council had decided to meet less frequently during the winter months, the young king had chosen to increase our time together in the practice yards. Thankfully, the ground was frozen solid and frequently dusted with snow, so being outside was out of the question. How lucky for me that there was an indoor area to practice my weaponry lessons…

Well, at least it got me out of the library, and thus, more time in the company of the King, who I now counted as my friend.

* * *

One would think that becoming friends with royalty would be a difficult thing, given that they were high up on the social ladder, and tended to have a huge ego to go with their numerous titles. Lucky for me, Caspian wasn't like that –he treated me with respect, and since he was making an effort to become friends, I was more than happy to return the favor. And what better way to begin a friendship than over a drink between weapon practice?

During our rest periods between lessons, Caspian and I would sit together on a bench, drinking water or cold tea, and talk either about ourselves or about Narnia. At first, I asked him how things fared with the Council, and whether or not the Telmarines and Narnians were getting along or not. For the first few weeks, Caspian would sigh and say that things were still a bit 'testy,' because his councilors were still a bit hesitant in merging the two peoples together and becoming one under a common banner.

"Why not put Narnians on the Council?" I suggested. "You've already got Trumpkin and Professor Cornelius as advisors, so why not add one member of each race? I'm sure the Centaurs, Fauns, Dryads and Nymphs would appreciate a place on the Council, if only so their voices can be heard. Perhaps even a few Talking Beasts as well, so they don't feel left out."

Caspian had given me an incredulous look when I suggested that, and appeared to think I was joking. At that point, I dropped the idea, and thought that he had as well. Then, a few days later, Professor Cornelius came bustling into the library, excited that new members had been added to the Royal Council.

"I don't know where he found that idea, but it was a brilliant one," the Professor declared as I served him his dinner from the stew pot brought by the servants. "We managed to get more done today than we have in weeks!"

Needless to say, after that small bit of advice that summer afternoon, Caspian and I began to form a tentative friendship. During our breaks between knife fighting and archery, he would let a small secret slip out, or tell me something that was weighing heavily on his mind. Like I had always done for my friends back home, I sat and listened until he asked about my thoughts on the matter, and then it was his turn to listen as I talked. As it turned out, Caspian was a pretty good listener, and if he chose not to follow the advice I gave him, at least he had the decency to listen to them and not blow them off, like some men did.

And of course, like any friends, we argued. I guess some of what I said was too 21st Century, because some modern ideas I tossed out didn't agree with him. He won some of our arguments, I won others, but mostly, we agreed to disagree and leave things alone. I knew I was right about some of the things I told him, but given that Caspian was the king, I knew that trying to convince him of my "rightness" wasn't going to do any good, so I left it alone or let him think he was right (even when he wasn't).

* * *

And so things went, until spring came. I was perfectly content with how things were in life, and with the routine I had created to pass my days.

Sadly, with the spring thaw came news from the North. The Giants were becoming restless, and there was even talk of them leaning towards mobilization.

That, unfortunately, meant war was on the horizon.

* * *

AN: More fun coming up next chapter! Please be kind and don't forget to review!


	10. Giant Issues

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing _**Narnia **_related (though I wish I did!). Only original characters are mine.

AN: Okay, in relation to the whole Giant thing: I'm basically mixing stuff from the _**Dawn Treader**_ movie, the info I got off of Wikipedia, and my own imagination for the sake of the story. Hopefully it won't disappoint, because it's kind of critical to this part of the story. Anyway, please enjoy, and don't forget to review!

**Chapter 10: Giant Issues:**

When word came that the Giants were stirring, Caspian immediately gathered the Council and sent orders that they not be disturbed until they found a solution to this event. For days, servants could be seen taking food, drink, parchment, writing instruments, and other things into the chamber, but none of them had any news to deliver because the Council ceased talking whenever anyone entered the room. It was both frustrating and frightening for the rest of us, sitting around waiting for news, but that's the way things were.

While the Council talked, I was left alone in the library, nervously chewing my lower lip as I tried not to panic at the news. Professor Cornelius was, of course, on the Council (at least, he was during emergency situations like this one), which meant I had a lot of spare time to burn with him gone.

Under his stern orders, I was not allowed to change, move, or shelve anything in the library, so I basically had nothing to do in regards to that part of my job. I at least managed to dust the room, and organize the pens, papers, and other things on the tables and desks, but other than that, I didn't dare go against what the Professor had ordered.

Worse, my weapon's lessons were canceled as well, so I wasn't able to squeeze any info out of Caspian, or take out my moodiness on a practice dummy. Even if I wanted to, I didn't dare go to the practice yards, because every warrior within the city was there, preparing themselves for a possible war with the Giants. If there was no war, they at least got to keep themselves in good shape, and would go back to their ordinary lives at the King's orders. However, if war did happen, then at least they would be prepared, and not be a bunch of softies when they went to defend Narnia.

Sighing, I leaned on a railing and watched the warriors practice killing each other –like all the ladies at court, I watched the practice sessions from the viewing areas above the fighters. However, I was here because I was bored, not to look at the 'eye candy' of the sweating, shirtless men. It was tempting to drool over sweaty, shirtless guys, but considering half of the males here were Centaurs and Fauns, it just wasn't that appealing to me.

'_At least they're all on the same side this time_,' I thought to myself as a Faun and a human clapped one other on the shoulder, congratulating each other on a good practice. '_It isn't Narnians versus Telmarines, which makes it easier_.'

Well, technically the Giants were Narnians, I guess –some _had_ sided with the Pevensie siblings during the war with the White Witch. Since then, however, they had gone and formed their own country, keeping themselves safe from any possible invasion by the Telmarine army.

'_But surely some of them want to be part of Narnia again_,' I wondered, watching a Centaur go against three warriors at the same time. '_Or at least be friends and allies, rather than enemies. There has to be a peaceful solution to all of this, rather than war_.'

Of course, I had no idea what the whole situation was with the Giants. I didn't even know what the Giants were like, or if they were even friendly anymore. A thousand years apart from Narnia might have changed them a lot.

The sound of paws on stone caught my attention. Turning to my right, I was overjoyed to see Reepicheep coming to join me. As he was a great fighter, he had been invited to sit on the Council for this matter, and him being here had to mean that the meeting, which had been going on for _days_, was finally over.

"What news, Reep?" I asked, calling him by the nickname he had asked me to use.

He looked serious, but also pleased. "It is to be war, I'm afraid," he said, looking around to make sure no one was listening in. "I should not be telling you this, but as you are tied closely to Professor Cornelius, you are likely to overhear things. I thought it best to warn you, so that you may prepare yourself."

I swallowed hard. "Prepare myself?" I asked, squeaking softly.

Reepicheep nodded. "The King will need you and Professor Cornelius to look up everything possible on Giants. It has been over a thousand years since both the Narnians and the Telmarines have dealt with them, and we will need all of the knowledge you can find."

He looked at me gravely. "You will also likely hear things that are not meant for your ears, and must learn to keep them secret, for it wouldn't do to cause panic amongst the people. It is the King's hope that no rumors be spread, particularly since the unity we have formed is still fragile. With the Giants, who were once Narnians themselves, coming together so aggressively against us, we do not wish for there to be another fracturing among the people. Such an act on the Giants' part could unify us further, or drive us apart."

Nodding my understanding, I relaxed. "Well, if I'm supposed to keep my mouth shut, why are you telling me all of this?" I said, only half teasing him.

Looking around again and finding no one, Reep climbed up on a bench that stood next to me and leaned forward to whisper, "Because you are the King's friend," in a serious voice.

I stared at him. "Who told you that?" I asked. Could it have been Caspian? We hadn't even really called one another 'friend' out loud yet. True, we had been hanging out nearly every day for the past six months or so, but we still kind of tip-toed around it, at least for now.

Reep actually smiled at me. "The King, of course," he said, surprising the hell out of me. "He thinks very highly of you, and believes you trustworthy of certain secrets."

Part of me went mushy. The King of Narnia trusted me, and called me a friend! I guess I hadn't failed Aslan after all. I gave myself a mental pat on the back for that.

"Now, you should get back to the library," Reepicheep stated, jumping down from the bench. "The Professor is waiting for you, and you need to get to work at once."

We both turned and ran at that point –me for the library, and Reep for his own destination. When I reached the library, the Professor was already there, up on a ladder and trying to pull down a book that should _not_ be handled by someone his age.

Fearful that he might fall and/or injure himself, I raced to help him. When he realized that I was there, Professor Cornelius immediately had me rushing around the room, locating books and any other documents he might have with information on Giants.

* * *

We spent a full three days pouring over every text and bit of paper we could find, taking down notes on whatever we thought important and helpful. This, of course, was pretty difficult for a girl who had never used a quill and ink in her life, but with a bit of effort, I was able to fudge my way through it and produce semi-readable notes.

In the end, I learned a great deal about the Giants, but whether the information was fact or not was something to be debated.

According to a majority of the texts I read through, the Giants of the North were tall, dim-witted, ugly creatures that lived gathered together in a handful of stone cities or castles. The two main cities inhabited by the Giants were Ettinsmoor and Harfang. The Giants of Ettinsmoor fought each other a great deal, mostly by throwing stone hammers at one another. Frankly, I found it amazing that they managed to stop fighting each other long enough to get together and turn against Narnia.

As for the Giants of Harfang –well, _those_ I had heard of. I distinctly recalled them from _**The Silver Chair**_, and knew that they ate humans during some sort of weird festival they had. From my research, it appeared that fact was confirmed, and worse, they used humans as a means of entertainment and amusement –though I doubt they had humans standing around juggling or telling jokes.

"They are such a gruesome people," I muttered aloud, catching the Professor's attention.

He gave me a sympathetic look. "It seems that they are, but there are Giants who are good. The Buffins are a group of Giants who supported the great Kings and Queens in the past, and even fought against the White Witch during the war. It is said that they are on King Caspian's side, and are doing their best to mediate a peace between us and the other Giant clans."

I breathed out a sigh of relief. "Well, that's good news," I said. "You know, perhaps you should ask around and see what information the other Narnian councilors have about Giants. They might know something you don't, something passed down through stories told by their families."

Professor Cornelius gave me a look that was absolutely priceless. "Of course!" he said, getting to his feet. "How had I not thought of that? Sometimes old family tales are as good as a book or scroll. Excellent idea, Ali!"

Surprised at his sudden enthusiasm, I watched him race out the door, leaving me sitting there in the library, alone. Shaking my head, I picked up a history book I had been reading during my free time. If he needed me again, he knew where to find me: beside the fireplace, with Fang at my feet.

* * *

Caspian found me the next day, working alone in the library while the Professor took a nap. The poor old man had been up half the night, talking with the other Narnians, and after only a brief time in the library this morning, he'd decided a rest was in order.

When I heard the sound of a footstep in the doorway, I looked up and smiled at my unexpected visitor. "So the Council decided to let you out for the day?" I teased, earning a smile from him in return.

"Yes, just for a little while," Caspian replied, coming to see what I was working on.

"Well, you wouldn't have that problem if you had women on the Council," I commented, bringing up one of our old arguments. "Women know when to stop meetings so that everyone can have a proper rest and a good meal before going back to work. It's probably part of our gentle natures."

He grinned, knowing better than to take the bait. "Ah, but I have you as my secret weapon," he joked. "You should feel honored to be the only female councilor that advises the King, albeit secretly."

I snorted. "Ha! As though you listen to my suggestions more than one time out of ten!" Taking a closer look at him, I noticed that something was different.

Caspian chuckled. When he saw me glaring closely at his face, he gave me a puzzled look. "What is it?"

"You're growing a beard," I said, scrutinizing the scruff. "Haven't you had time to shave? Surely the Council hasn't kept you _that_ busy!"

Lifting a hand, Caspian rubbed the growing whiskers on his chin and along his jaw line. "You don't think it suits me?" he asked, sounding hurt.

I blinked in surprise. It actually sounded like he wanted my approval on him growing a beard! "Sorry, it caught me by surprise," I said, smiling at him. "Actually, it looks rather dignified, and it does suit you rather well. Makes you look older, too."

No, it wasn't a lie; the beard really did add a mature air to him, one that hadn't been there before. I really did think he looked handsome with a bit of scruff on his face, and knew he would look very dashing when it had grown out a bit and been trimmed.

Caspian actually beamed, as though my approval pleased him. "Thank you. Now, can you tell me what you're working on?"

I shrugged. "Just what the Council asked for: information on the Giants. We've collected quite a bit, and will send out a neat set of notes by tomorrow, but I think you should ask some of your councilors for advice on this. You know, the Centaurs, Fauns, etc. They might have knowledge we don't."

Caspian nodded his agreement. "A sound bit of advice. I will try and talk to a few of the Centaurs as I head North with the army."

My heart dropped to the floor. "Head North with the army?" I whispered, fear gripping me. "You're riding to war with the Giants? Could the Council find no other way?"

"We are not riding to war, exactly," Caspian hastily assured me, "We are merely going forth to show the Giants that Narnia is no longer a divided country –that we are one people now, under one banner, and we will fight to keep peace among us. The Giants will either recognize that and give up their endeavor to come South, or we will engage them in battle."

"If you have to fight them, go for the toes," I said, remembering that from anther fantasy book I'd read back home. He looked at me as though I'd lost my mind, but I continued, "Well, when you stub your toe, you're hurt and off balance, right? So it only makes sense that, if you simply _must_ fight a Giant, you hit him on the toe to catch him off guard and get his defenses down."

Caspian burst out laughing. "I'll try and follow that bit of advice," he said, reaching out to pat my arm. "Thank you, Ali. I think you've managed to make my day a bit more manageable."

I gave a mocking bow. "Anytime, sire," I said jokingly. I only called him 'Majesty' or 'sire' when I was making fun of him, as it kept his ego from getting too big.

Laughing, he returned my bow and left, giving me a minor cushion of time before the Professor woke from his nap and returned so that we could finish our project.

* * *

Not long after my chat with Caspian, a large chunk of the army marched North.

It was a rather organized affair, considering that there had just been a war between two peoples who now marched out as one. The mounted fighters and Centaurs made up the front lines, intimidating to anyone who looked at them. Behind marched the foot troops, carrying the banners of the King: the face of Aslan in gold on a royal purple background, allowing anyone who saw it to know that they all fought together as one country.

After they left, I spent much of my time in a constant state of anxiety. What can I say –I'm a born worrier. I feared for those who might have to fight, and those who would be left behind if war did break out and people got killed.

But my main worry was Caspian's safety. Well, _everyone_ was worried about the King, but that was only because he had yet to marry and produce an heir to the throne. Most of the people feared what would happen if the King died and left Narnia without someone to follow him to the throne.

I, however, feared for the man, not the personage who sat on the throne. He was my friend, and like I did with everyone I cared about, I feared what might happen to him. In the back of my mind, I knew that Caspian would survive this, since he'd live to a ripe old age, but still, I couldn't help but worry.

In the days that followed, the only thing that kept me from going crazy was the occasional messenger that arrived with notes for the Professor, from the King himself. Most of these were details of his travels, which the Professor added to the growing history book he was writing about Caspian's reign. Watching him write, I had a feeling that by the time the book was done, it would take up half the library.

'_Or maybe the __**entire**__ library, if he insists on scribbling down every single detail that Caspian experiences during his time as king_,' I thought, biting back a laugh as the Professor skimmed through another of Caspian's letters.

Luckily, most of the news brought from the North was good. The Giants had yet to decide to attack the army, and the Buffin clan had been doing all they could to keep the two sides from going at each other's throats. It seemed to be working, because so far, things were at a stalemate.

After nearly two weeks of the 'waiting game' they were playing, the Professor decided to send a letter to the king, along with all of the facts we had gathered from the library and the Professor's talking with his friends at court.

When I heard that he was writing a letter, I begged Professor Cornelius to mention talking to a few of the Narnians in the army, to see how much they knew about handling Giants. Perhaps there was something the King could offer, or some sort of means of creating a treaty that benefited both sides. The Professor thought it a good idea, and put it in the letter, which was swiftly sent off to the King.

That was when the real waiting began, because the only thing that came from the North was a large gap of silence. Since silence could be either a good or a bad thing, everyone in the castle began to show signs of fear as they awaited news from the King. Had the army successfully defeated the Giants, or had he managed to craft a peace with them? Or were we all to run to the South, to Archenland, or to the unknown West in hopes of safety?

After seven days of nothing, a royal messenger came galloping up to the city gates. The Centaur came to a swift stop in the center of the castle courtyard and loudly announced to all that peace had been made, and that the war was over before it had even begun!

"The Giants of the North have surrendered," the Centaur called to everyone within earshot. "They acknowledge Caspian, tenth of that name, as King of Narnia, and will not make war against us, so long as his line rules Narnia!"

Cries of joy and relief filled the air, and the messenger was quickly hauled off to a good rest and a hot meal while the castle began preparations for a celebration upon the return of the King and his army.

As for me, I went and helped the Professor drain a bottle of delightful sparkling wine, the two of us getting very happily drunk, long into the night.

* * *

Luckily, the army took its time getting back, because it not only allowed the city to prepare for a huge celebration, but it also gave me time to treat my very nasty hangover. Apparently Professor Cornelius's Dwarf wine didn't agree with me, because I spent the better part of two days in bed, nauseated and with a pounding headache. In the end, the Professor had to send someone for Queen Lucy's healing cordial, out of fear that I would either get sicker, or never recover fully from that one night of inebriation.

Now, like anyone who had read the books or seen the Narnia films, I knew all about the cordial that Santa Claus/Old Saint Nick had given Lucy in preparation for her upcoming battle with the White Witch. However, I'd never thought for a minute that I would get to try it!

It was made from the juice of fireberries from a valley on the sun, and said to smell and taste delicious. The minute it touched my tongue, it was so much more complex than what Lewis had written about in his books.

I didn't taste the cordial itself, as the drop was so small, but the sensations that spread through me after it passed my lips were indescribable. It felt as though the warm summer sun had settled in my belly, bright and shining and pleasantly warm. That joyful feeling quickly spread throughout my body, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. The feelings of pain and nausea vanished, fading in the light that seemed to shine from inside me. Blissful happiness and healing were all I felt, and it was wonderful.

I was on my feet within the hour of my taking the medicine, which was a good thing, because the next day, Caspian arrived, triumphant and exalted.

* * *

AN: Okay, I know people are bummed that there's no war with the Giants, but I'm saving all the action for later on. I'm sorry if this was a boring chapter, but I promise more fun in the upcoming ones. Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!


	11. Friendships

Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to _**The Chronicles of Narnia**_. Only original characters belong to me.

AN: Here's the next chapter. Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 11: Friendships:**

When word came that the King and the army were approaching, everyone rushed to line the streets, ready to cheer on their ruler and congratulate them on a job well done.

I, however, was not one of them.

Rather than be crushed by the crowds, Professor Cornelius suggested we wait in the library for word from the King, as he was sure that we would both be summoned into Caspian's presence for a private chat. I wasn't sure why _I_ would be involved in any private talks between the two of them, but I chose to keep my mouth shut and just do as the Professor said. Besides, I had no desire to be one of the young adoring girls outside, simultaneously throwing flowers before Caspian's feet while giving him flirtatious smiles and goo-goo eyes as he rode past.

While we waited for all of the noise to die down, the Professor and I sat together in the library, keeping ourselves busy by reading, having tea, and playing chess or checkers. As we played or read, my little bird friends came to keep us company, as the noise going on outside had frightened and disturbed them. The red-winged blackbird, Inkwing, even asked to be taught to play checkers, and turned out to be quite good at it.

Hours went by, and it was starting to get dark by the time things began to quiet down. The real festivities and celebrations would start mid-morning tomorrow, after all of the soldiers had gotten the chance to unpack and get a good night's rest. In the meantime, all of Narnia's citizens would have their own private parties at home.

The Professor and I had just settled down for a delicious roast beef dinner when a cloaked figure slipped into the room and shut the door behind him. I was alarmed, but the Professor wasn't. Rather, he merely pulled up a chair and from amongst the numerous spare objects he kept in the library, found a spare plate and cup for our guest to use.

"I think you had better remove your hood, before Ali starts calling for the guards," teased Professor Cornelius.

I almost fell out of my chair as the stranger revealed himself to be Caspian himself. "Oh, don't ever do that again!" I scolded him. "You scared me half to death!"

Caspian chuckled and accepted a fork, knife and spoon from his old teacher. "Forgive me, but it was the only way I could escape. The amount of admirers wanting to speak with me was beginning to get oppressive."

Chuckling, I offered him the serving utensils, so that he could help himself to the large platter of meat and vegetables. "Oh, well, that's alright, then." I threw a glance towards the fireplace. "You'd better help yourself, before Fang decides that he wants to finish off the beef while we're not looking."

Caspian and the Professor laughed while Fang rolled his eyes and went back to chewing the massive bone that the beef had been carved off of, ignoring us completely as he focused on his own dinner.

We ate in comfortable silence, though I was dying to know all of the details about what had happened with the Giants. But since I didn't want to be caught talking with my mouth full, or to have the food grow cold and tasteless while we talked, I squashed down my impatience and ate my dinner. As always, the food was delicious; the succulent taste of the beef and vegetables in gravy helped distract me from the questions burning inside.

After we'd finished and the dinner dishes removed, dessert was brought and served, each of us getting a lovely slice of cake filled with candied fruits. There was a sugary liquid frosting to be drizzled over the top, but the cake was, in my opinion, more than sweet enough on its own. Fang, of course, gobbled up his share, and had to be given a small dish of milk, to cut through the sweet.

"You're getting fat with all of your pampering," I teased, taking his empty bowl from him. "It's been too long since I took you for a run outside."

Fang snorted while the others laughed. "And how would I have run through all of the snow piled up on the meadows? And it is no better now, even if it is spring, given that everything is covered in mud and the days are still chilled."

"Running will warm you up quite fast," I retorted, but with a smile. "But you're right about the mud. Even Roan doesn't want to head out into it, not when there is a risk for injury."

Caspian nodded his agreement. "It was rough riding, both to the North and back. We had to stop a good distance away just to wash up before coming to the castle, or else we'd have looked the shambles upon our return."

The image of a muddy, grumpy Caspian almost had me laughing in his face. Luckily, I kept my cool and took a sip from my cup, to hide my laughter. From the glare that Caspian was giving me, though, it clearly didn't fool him.

"It isn't funny," he said, fighting his own smile. "Arriving covered in mud, dirt, grass and who-knows-what else is not the way a king should appear before his people!"

I didn't answer him –instead, I just smiled and went back to eating my cake, trying not to look smug. Caspian chose to not press the issue, which I thought was very smart of him.

When dessert was over, all that remained were a handful of crumbs and bits of fruit, which I swept into a handkerchief for my feathered friends, who were waiting for the treat at the open window. They knew that the kitchen had been baking this cake, and since it was a favorite of theirs, they had waited until now to get some.

Watching me closely, Caspian gave me the oddest look. "I certainly hope that you aren't going to save that for a midnight snack," he said jokingly. "Surely the Professor isn't starving you, that you need to save crumbs for your meals?"

Sticking my tongue out at him, I otherwise pointedly ignored his jibe as I went to sprinkle the crumbs along the stone outcrop just below the window, much to the birds' delight. When I had first begun feeding them, I had thought that their feeding perch had been part of the gutter system, when actually it was merely just an ornamental outcrop of the building itself. In fact, it had probably been designed by one of Caspian's ancestors for the sole purpose of feeding birds.

"Do not tease her so," Professor Cornelius chided his old student. "She has made friends amongst the birds, and she enjoys feeding them. Besides, with food still scarce, they depend on her, especially since the females will be laying eggs soon."

With my back still to them, I stood and watched the birds gobble down the fruit and cake bits. I had grown especially fond of my winged friends –their chipper voices and mere presence had kept me sane during the winter, when I had been forced by snow and cold to stay indoors. Those who hadn't flown South for the winter had visited me whenever the days were clear of snow, and Inkwing was one of them.

During those days, Inkwing had relayed news to the Professor, and told me stories he'd heard from his friends amongst the forest animals. Then, when it had been too cold for my little visitors to remain outdoors, the Professor had allowed them to settle on the mantle, where I had set up a few mounds of clean rags as rough nests for them and their mates. With the coming of Spring, the rag nests were now gone, and all of my birds had started building true nests in the royal gardens.

'_Why do I have a feeling that I will be feeding all seven of them an extra two or three times a day, since the male birds have mates to feed, and the females will soon be laying eggs_?'

When they finished their snack, each one of them cheeped their thanks and flew off. Meanwhile, Inkwing gave me a brief word of gratitude, and took off, just before the sun set into true darkness.

Turning, I found Caspian giving me a smile. "If I did not know better, I would swear that you were one of the ancient Narnians, from High King Peter's time," he said. "I have yet to see any of the court ladies play such a gracious hostess to the birds around the castle."

I smiled. "Some things take time," I said, returning to my chair. "You haven't even been king for an entire year yet. Give the people time to adjust and get used to it all. It will all come together."

Professor Cornelius nodded in agreement. "Speaking of coming together, I found it quite a good sign that the Centaurs and Fauns were accepted into the army so quickly and quietly. It looked very impressive, with them marching behind you as you left the castle."

And that brought us to the topic that I wanted to hear about the most: the events in the North.

* * *

Apparently, the Giants hadn't expected a united Narnian army marching up towards their boarders, and were quite surprised that the Old Narnians had been so easily integrated into the army, which had once been filled exclusively by humans. Upon seeing the Centaurs, a race well-known for their mysticism and fighting skills, a few of the Giants began to have second thoughts, but not all of them.

The clans that had been peaceful immediately sent out a messenger under a white flag, signaling their willingness to talk. Seeing the coat of arms of the Buffin clan, and knowing them to be trustworthy, Caspian had ordered a large pavilion tent to be erected, big enough for a Giant to sit under, and received the messenger there.

The messenger had quickly acknowledged Caspian as the rightful ruler of Narnia, and explained that, after millennia of being afraid of the Telmarines, the more aggressive Giant clans were ready to spill over their borders into Narnia proper, where they had thought that the country would be fractured after the wars.

"The greedier, more ambitious clans wanted to expand their territories, and thought that Narnia would be a weak target," Caspian said, accepting a goblet of wine from the Professor. "If it hadn't been for you, Ali, I would never have proven us to be otherwise."

I almost choked on the apple cider I'd been drinking. "What?" I managed to cough out. "Me?"

"Yes, you," Caspian confirmed with a nod. "You suggested that I include the other Narnian peoples in the Council, and while I was speaking with the Giants' messenger, a letter came with your idea to ask the others what they knew about Giants. With their knowledge about the Giants' habits, traits, and weaknesses and what it would take to gain their respect, I was able to forge a treaty with the more aggressive clans, without creating anymore strife between us."

I listened in fascination as he described the situation.

Armed with a mind full of facts about Giants, Caspian had quickly deduced how to best appeal to them and their natures. In a letter to the hostile clans, he had graciously declared that he wished to remain allies with his neighbors to the North, and said that as long as they surrendered and swore not to attack Narnia for any reason, the Giants would be left in peace.

The consequence, Caspian had declared in the message, of going against Narnia would be war. He did not hesitate to mention the legendary catapults used by the (former) Telmarine army, which had so effectively defeated Narnia when they had invaded. Given what I remembered from the movies, the catapults could take down a walking tree –thus, it was easy enough for them to knock out a Giant.

"I also gave subtle hints as to the skills of the Centaurs, and how great size does not always promise a victory in battle," Caspian said, smiling as he stared into his cup. "It took a few days for the Giants to finally see my points, and with the Buffin clan there to do some careful talking on our behalf, we were successful in having representatives from all of the Giant clans meet with me to sign a treaty of surrender."

I sighed in relief. "Well, thank goodness for that," I said, going to light the candles. The sun had set some time ago, but Caspian's recount had been too good to interrupt for the sake of a few flickering flames of light. "I'm glad no one was hurt during this whole thing."

Caspian chuckled and set his goblet down on the table. "Unfortunately, Reepicheep would not agree with you," he remarked with a smile. "He wanted to see if a Mouse could defeat a Giant, and possibly have a tale written about him. He's very disappointed in not getting his wish."

Professor Cornelius and I laughed at that, our amusement coming to an end as Fang lifted his head and looked at me. "This is all very nice, but it is late, and I am trying to sleep," he retorted. "You should rest, too, Ali -you're due to start your rides out again tomorrow. Roan is getting too fat for his own good, even if the stable boys have been allowing the horses out to graze and run in a fenced field."

"You're one to talk," I said right back at him. "You're not the slim thing you once were, either! At least I manage to keep my figure in check with my weapon's training with the king. You, on the other hand, had better start your own walks, before you join Roan and me on our rides out of the city!"

Fang snorted and glared at me. "I refuse to submit myself to such criticism. I will see you upstairs, when you decide to come to bed." Then he left, waving his tail haughtily.

"You shouldn't tease him so," Professor Cornelius said, only meaning it a little. "But he is right –it is time for bed, and I am an old man."

Caspian nodded and rose, offering me a hand to help me up. I looked at him in surprise, but accepted it, automatically taking it the same way I always did whenever we were at the practice yards and I had been tossed into the dirt: by clasping his wrist in a firm grip and letting him pull me up. He had probably anticipated a ladylike touch this time around, but he wasn't surprised at the grip he received instead.

The two of us then helped the Professor to his feet, and like any good assistant who was fond of her mentor, I led him back to his rooms and put a pot of water over the fire in his sitting room, for he was fond of late-night teas. The banked fire would keep the water warm enough for his needs, and would provide something to brew his pain medicines in, in case his joints started to ache while he slept.

'_They don't always bother him, though_,' I reminded myself. The joint pains had only shown themselves during the cold winter months, and were starting to ease with the arrival of warm weather.

I returned to the library to find Caspian still there, a concerned look on his face. Quick to reassure him, I smiled. "He'll be alright. With winter nearly gone, his body will be alright again soon. The cold weather was hard on him, and it takes a little time for the body to adjust with the seasons. He'll be fine."

Caspian sighed in relief, and smiled. "I am glad that you are here to help take care of him, Ali. He was always caring for me when I was young, and now that I am King, I wish I could do for him as he had done for me."

My hand reached out to give his arm a sympathetic squeeze. "You are," I gently told him. "By taking care of Narnia and all of its peoples, you are doing everything he could have hoped for. I know that he is proud of you –if he wasn't, he wouldn't be recording every one of your deeds in that history book he's writing about you!"

I waved towards the two texts that lay on the Professor's desk. "He's actually had to start another, after the first one was filled. If that doesn't declare how proud of you he is, I don't know what will."

Caspian grinned. "You a very unusual and fascinating young woman, Ali," he said, grinning even wider as I blushed. "Will you be coming to the ball that will be occurring tomorrow evening?"

I had to blink at him. "Ball? What ball?" I asked, beginning to panic at the thought of attending a large social event.

He shrugged and looked more than a little frustrated. "It is a foolish thought of my Councilors, who say that this ball is to celebrate our triumph in the North, but I know it is so they can present their daughters to me," Caspian said, annoyance filling his voice. "It is not required that you attend. I merely hoped to have a friend to speak with."

I laughed and patted his hand in sympathy. "Sadly, I will not," I apologized, frantically thinking up some good excuses to _not_ go. "I cannot dance, I lack the ability to interact with the nobles, and have absolutely nothing to wear to such an event. The Professor and I purchased clothes for me that are meant to be functional rather than fashionable, meaning that they're supposed to get dusty and dirty. I've no dress that would be suitable for a ball."

None of these excuses were false, either. I could not dance in any way; not in my world, or in the Narnian fashion, either. Besides Caspian, I had never talked with any of the nobility; Caspian was no trouble talking to, because he was pretty casual, at least for a king.

And as for an outfit, I honestly had never considered the idea of wearing a fancy gown here at the castle for any reason. Cinderella, I was not, and besides, since I lacked the traditional and local social skills, it was probably a good idea for me to keep away from anything 'social.'

Seeing his skeptic look, I had to smirk. "Besides, I doubt that I would be well-accepted by the ladies who wish to snare you as their husband. I would be seen as a competitor for your attention, and I have no wish to come under the scrutiny or hateful glares of the court ladies!"

Caspian gave a playful sigh. "Ah, well," he said, giving me a smile, "I suppose I shall have to survive on my own, then. Goodnight, Ali. Sleep well."

He turned to leave, but then swung back to face me. "Please inform the Professor that I would like to speak with the two of you in a few days' time? I would do so tomorrow, but with the ball occurring, it would be best to meet after it is over, when everyone is well-rested."

I nodded. "Of course, whenever you wish," I said, puzzled at the sudden seriousness on his face. "May I ask what it is you would like to discuss?"

He hesitated a moment, then answered, "I would rather it wait. There are some things I must still do before I go further on this."

Well, that made sense, I guess. "Very well," I acquiesced. "In three days, then? Will that do?"

"Perfect," he replied with a smile. "In three days, then, Ali."

And off he went, leaving me more than a little puzzled about the whole thing. Ah, well, no use worrying over it now. Besides, I had more than enough on my plate, since I had to get not only Fang and Roan back in shape, but myself also. And with spring having arrived, I needed to pray that no other interesting events happened before the whole _Dawn Treader_ voyage.

'_He has to build the ship, first_,' I noted. '_You can't go on a sea voyage without a ship_!'

Oh, crap; how I was going to convince Caspian to build a fleet of ships just on my say-so? That was completely beyond my limited 'powers of persuasion.' Hopefully, he'd think of it on his own. All I could do in the meantime was wait and see what happened, and hoped that I didn't blow things up too badly when things occurred.

Yawning, I banked the fire, blew out a majority of the candles, and headed up to my rooms.

* * *

AN: More excitement next chapter! Review?


	12. Discussions

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing associated with _**The Chronicles of Narnia**_ (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: Here's the next chapter! Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing –I really appreciate it! Enjoy, and please don't forget to review?

**Chapter 12: Discussions:**

The day of the ball arrived, and with it came a flurry of excitement amongst the women of the castle. They were all frantically getting themselves ready, and every maid that could be spared was seeing to at least one noblewoman who needed help with her hair, her clothes, and the rest of her primping. The hallways were clogged with people, all of them desperately needing to get somewhere or find something that had been misplaced or forgotten.

In this mass of chaos, the library seemed to be the only place to find solitude. The Professor had no intention of going to the ball, and I had to laugh when he said, "Though my nights of dancing are long over, I doubt any of the ladies there would be able to keep up with me if I did attend!"

In regards to me, however, my dear mentor and friend was disappointed that I was not joining the other ladies at the event. He offered to buy me a dress and anything else I might need to go, but I refused –Professor Cornelius had already done so much for me, I could not let him spend a fortune on a dress that I would probably only wear once in my life. Perhaps I did need a fancy outfit of some kind in my closet, but I didn't want it to be a ball gown!

'_A pity that the infamous little black dresses from back home aren't acceptable here in Narnia_,' I thought, wistfully. '_I could wear it for any occasion, and no one would care, because almost all black dresses look alike anyway_.'

But here, black was reserved for sad occasions, and my idea of an elegant outfit was one I could wear for any occasion. Ball gowns were a 'wear only once' thing, and I could not afford to beggar myself for the sake of owning a closet worth of dresses. Besides, I was a librarian's assistant –I seriously doubted that I would be going to many important occasions!

"And that is why you should go to this one," Professor Cornelius had said, when I explained myself to him. "You should go dance with a handsome young man or two, and come home with sore feet from spinning across the floor all night long."

But I refused to go. It wasn't just the fact that I did not have a dress, but also because Caspian, the one person I knew in all of Narnia besides the Professor, would have his hands full with every eligible young woman being his dance partner for the night. And since I wouldn't know anyone at the ball, and would no doubt be one of the lowest people on the social ladder attending, it wouldn't be a good idea to go.

To be honest, I didn't miss it one bit. Instead of standing around being ignored by all the nobles and bored out of my mind, I was in my favorite chair, with the history text Professor Cornelius had been working on. It made for fantastic reading, considering I knew several of the people in the historical document, and the details that had been included made my mind spin. Nothing had been held back for the sake of making the king look good, and none of the events that had happened during the battle between the Telmarines and the Narnians had been sugarcoated.

The fact that it was a thick book only made it even better, because I knew it would take me days to finish reading the first one. That was good, because the ball was going to run late into the evening, possibly early morning; that meant no one was going to be up and about tomorrow except for the servants. With everyone sleeping the tonight off, it meant a day of rest for everyone in the castle, including myself.

'_And since I don't get a day to myself very often, I'm so looking forward to finishing this_!' I thought excitedly as I started reading about the weapons of the Pevensie siblings.

I'd give anything to see the actual weapons that Father Christmas had given them during their battle with the White Witch. Well, I _had_ been treated with Queen Lucy's cordial, but unfortunately, I hadn't actually gotten a good look at the bottle when I had the chance, because I was too busy being sick and miserable. Presently, all of these priceless treasures were safely locked away in a vault somewhere, protected from use, with one exception: King Peter's sword. According to the Professor's book, it was in Caspian's safekeeping, as it had been left in his care.

'_Maybe if I ask very nicely, Caspian will let me see it_.' Probably not, but it was worth a shot.

"Ali, don't stay up too late with that," Professor Cornelius called from the hallway, on the way to his bed. "You need your rest, and will have all day tomorrow to read. Fang, if she doesn't start for her rooms soon, you have permission to drag her upstairs!"

I quickly slipped the ribbon bookmark into place and shut the text, turning to glare at Fang. "Don't even think about it," I warned him. "The last time you tried to drag me up to my room, I had a horrible time explaining to Lily why there were teeth marks in my skirt!"

My canine friend chuckled and got up, waiting for me to precede him to the stairwell. Grumbling under my breath, I put aside the book and did as the Professor ordered.

* * *

I spent my day off exactly as planned: sleeping in, reading, and passing the entire afternoon with both Fang and Roan on a ride and picnic outside the city. We'd had a marvelous time running through the grass, with me playing tag with Fang while Roan nibbled the fresh spring grass. It had been absolutely liberating, and I immediately resolved to do it more often.

However, today was a new work day, and though I was disappointed at my free time being over, it was nice to have something to focus on. The Professor had taken yesterday to rest as well, but as we had our supper together, I noticed that he was getting a bit fidgety. He could have worked on his history book if he wanted to, but Caspian had declared it a holiday, of sorts, and Professor Cornelius had decided to do what everyone else was: relax and not do much. He obviously regretted it.

Now it was time to get back to business. Professor Cornelius got to work on his book, and as he scribbled, I began organizing his secondary writing kit for tomorrow. For all that he was a librarian who adored organizing his shelves and their contents, my mentor did _not_ take good care of his writing desk, and often left it a mess when he was finished for the night. As such, I had to keep a second one handy, and switch them every other day, to be sure that he had everything he needed at his fingertips, and never had to interrupt what he was doing to look for a quill, ink, or tools. He was rather funny that way, and looking after his absentminded quirks kept my days interesting.

We had just finished a satisfying lunch when there was a knock on the door, followed by the swift entrance of Caspian. Smiling, Professor Cornelius and I greeted him, and offered a chair near the window, which had a refreshing spring breeze coming through it. Caspian happily accepted, but I could see that he was distracted by something, which puzzled me. The war with the Giants was over –what could possibly be troubling him now?

"I was hoping to get your opinions on an idea I have just had," Caspian said, relaxing into the window seat.

With his left arm resting on the windowsill and his legs crossed as he made himself comfortable, I had to admire how handsome he was. The royal purple silks trimmed in gold made his dark hair stand out, and the crown on his head added dignity and a true sense of royalty to him. Never before had he come in with his crown on; Caspian tended to keep things casual with his old tutor, and as such, with me as well. Why was he looking so official now?

'_Perhaps he just came from a Council meeting_,' I figured, mentally shrugging.

He saw me looking at him, and smiled. "Forgive me, but I'm afraid I do come on rather official business," Caspian said, his tone apologetic and kind. "I am in need of advice, and I hope that you two can help me."

A sigh escape his lips. "I have a rather ambitious idea, and wish to know if one, or both, of you can tell me whether you think it is a good one, or if it is even doable."

Professor Cornelius looked intrigued. "What is it?" he asked, offering a goblet of light wine.

Caspian accepted the cup, and looked into it, as though he hoped it would give him courage. "I would like to know what you think of my rebuilding Cair Paravel and making it the center of Narnia once more."

The Professor and I just stared at him. I, of course, knew that the legendary city and castle would one day be rebuilt by Caspian –I just didn't think it would be this soon! And how the heck was it going to be done? It would take years, maybe even a decade to finish!

'_I hope that he's prepared for a long wait_,' I thought to myself. '_Without the technology of my world, it would take a huge amount of time, energy, and resources to rebuild Cair Paravel_!'

Then again, Narnia did have a lot of things my old world didn't: it had magic, and a lot of creatures that might, possibly, be able to get the job done in a relatively decent amount of years. It would still take ages, but with all of the peoples of Narnia working together, it was doable.

"Well, do you have a design marked out?" I asked, wanting more details before I gave out any real, sound advice on the whole thing.

Caspian gave me a blank look. Okay, apparently he wasn't as prepared for this 'sales pitch' of his as I thought. Holding back a sigh, I explained. "You ought to have some kind of idea of what you want the place to look like, and have someone familiar with building tremendously large structures look at it, if only to see if it's possible to construct. If it's proved to be doable, _then_ you come ask if it's a good idea. If it isn't, ask a builder for ideas, and see where that takes you."

I smiled at him. "It's always good to be prepared when presenting an idea or argument to someone who might need convincing."

Both men looked impressed at my suggestions, but nodded. Professor Cornelius seemed to like what I had to say, and turned towards his former pupil. "Ali is right," he said. "First, design a capital that would make the people proud, and see if it is possible to do. When you have what you are looking for, come to us, and we will see what advice we can give you."

Caspian grinned and set aside his cup. "You have already given me that, my friends," he said, rising to his feet. "Now, I shall go meet with those that can help me in this, and come see you again within a week."

Before I could mention that a week wasn't much time, he was gone, a pleased smile on his face as he hurried out the door. Professor Cornelius and I exchanged puzzled glances and shrugged. We silently agreed to just go about our business and wait to see whether or not Caspian would be able to pull off this project of his.

* * *

A week went by, and it was a quiet one, full of routine and the shuffling of paper as I tidied up around the Professor while he wrote. To be quite honest, I was so busy, I didn't really think about Caspian and what he was doing in regards to the rebuilding of Cair Paravel, and it quite slipped my mind.

But exactly seven days after he rushed out of the library, Caspian made another appearance, arriving just after tea had been cleared away. I was as surprised as the Professor at his arrival, but when we saw the thrilled and excited look on his face, we knew that he had what he wanted, and what we had asked him to create for us.

Without a word, he produced with a flourish the plans that he hoped to bring to life. And after one glance at the sheets, I knew that it was going to be a _very_ ambitious project. There were high walls and towers of gleaming white stone, a glass roof over the huge throne room that was reminiscent of the film's version of Cair Paravel, and incredibly detailed artwork around not only the inside of the castle, but the exterior as well. It all blew my mind.

Accompanying the blueprints were sample designs for supporting columns, archways, buttresses, window frames, candle niches in the walls, doorframes, and even stone stair railings engraved with what looked like Celtic designs. Just looking at the sample pieces was like looking at a work of art.

Of course, that wasn't the half of it. Apparently Caspian wanted to add a great deal of Old Narnian influence and history to the new Cair Paravel, because he showed us a plan for a great hallway decorated with images from Narnia's history. It reminded me of Aslan's Howe from the film, where the Pevensie children had uncovered cave drawings of their acts during the war with the White Witch.

Caspian's design, however, was far more complex than engravings on a stone wall. He wanted intricate, detailed images painted onto (or even _into_) the stone that would be used to build the castle, and he didn't want a mere handful, either. It seemed he wanted to start at the beginning of Narnia, with its creation, and continuing on to what had happened recently. Even with large gaps where nothing happened, that was a _lot_ of history, and I knew that unless he was planning to build a hallway that stretched from one side of the country all the way to the coast, it probably wasn't going to happen.

"I'm afraid I was a little overzealous when it came to the history hall," Caspian admitted as I gave him a skeptical look. "Perhaps it would be best to include only the Great Kings and Queens, and my own reign, and continue onward from that."

"That might be best," I stated, trying to be diplomatic. "It will show you bringing Narnia back together again as one, and be a wonderful gesture in that direction."

Caspian seemed pleased at my approval, and at the Professor's nod in agreement with me, he seemed to relax a bit. "I was hoping that the both of you would be able to offer a bit more advice on its construction," he said, shuffling the plans back into place and rolling them up.

I had to chuckle a little. "I'm afraid that, when it comes to building things, I have little to no experience in that area," I teased.

He smiled and gently tapped me on the head with the rolled up plans. "Silly girl," he laughed. "You know that's not what I meant."

I snatched the plans from him and gave him a quick smack on the head. "You, sir, should know that it is very ungentlemanly to hit a woman with rolled up parchment," I scolded him in a playful, snide tone.

Caspian snatched the plans back and made to retaliate, but changed his mind. "You'll pay for that on the practice yards," he warned, brown eyes glinting with good humor. "I doubt that you've been practicing your fighting skills while I was gone, so I suppose I'll have my revenge while I try and put you back into shape."

Sticking my tongue out at him, I was kept from replying by Professor Cornelius, who stepped up between us. "Now, children," he chided, "Let us finish these important matters first, and then the two of you can play." He turned to his old pupil. "Caspian, please explain what you meant when you asked for our assistance."

Caspian gave me one last playful glare before answering. "Even though you do not have much familiarity with building or design, it is my hope that you will be able to look at everything with a new set of eyes, and possibly see something none of the builders, nor myself, can."

Oh, well, that I could do! I was just relieved that he didn't need me to solve any architectural issues they might have, especially since math had never been much of a strong point for me. But I could certainly listen to whatever issues he might have to complain about, and give him my opinion, if he asked it of me.

I cleared my throat. "Well, now that you know what it will look like, do you have any idea where you are going to build it?" I asked, hand on my hip as I looked at him.

To my surprise, Caspian looked a bit embarrassed. "I had thought to rebuild it exactly where it had been before the invasion," he slowly replied, but stopped when I shook my head.

"No, I don't think so," I said, surprising both men. "Rebuilding a castle that symbolizes hope and unity on the place where so many died during the invasion of the Telmarine army? Not a very good idea, and I think a great many Narnians would agree with me."

They seemed to recognize the significance of that, and looked thoughtful. Rather than wait for them to see the obvious, I decided to butt in and push things along. "Build it somewhere along the coastline, a fair distance from where the old palace was," I said, trying to _not_ make it look obvious. "Besides, from what I've heard, the place where Cair Paravel used to stand is practically an island now, covered with trees and flowers. Let it lie and rest, and start anew somewhere else."

Sighing, Caspian nodded his agreement. "You're right. I will send out scouts tomorrow to see where on the coast would be an ideal place to build." He looked thoughtful once more. "And perhaps it is time to start building a navy. Telmar was a land-locked country, and since we arrived here, the people of Telmar never had any desire to sail. I think it is time to change that."

Oh, this was too perfect an opportune moment to pass up! Trying to appear casual, I very carefully put in, "And since you are now Emperor of the Lone Islands, it might be a good idea to sail there and see if they are still loyal to Narnia. Not immediately, of course –best to wait to have your sailors trained for the sea before you do that. But a surprise visit to the Islands might be something to put on your list of things to do while you're king."

There, it was said. At least Aslan couldn't accuse me of being lax in my duties! Besides, Caspian had to get the idea to sail East from someone, so why not me?

My tiny dropped hint paid off almost immediately. Caspian perked up and seemed to think my idea was fantastic. "You are right," he said with a grin. "I have always wanted to sail, and perhaps, once the fleet is built, I will take a journey East to the Islands." He looked at the plans in his hand. "But first, the rebuilding. Once that is underway, I will see about the idea of building a navy."

Professor Cornelius cleared his throat. "And have you thought about who your workers will be for this effort of yours?" he asked, giving his king a very close look. "Who will be doing the art, the building, and the supervising? It will take many people, and many years to finish this."

An idea suddenly hit me. "You should get the Giants involved," I blurted out, surprising all three of us. "Think about it! They're tall, strong, and have to be good at building tall, immense structures, if they live in castles. Think of how they had to build their own vast fortresses! If Giants were on the work force, they could help put up the walls in a short amount of time."

Excitement gleamed in Caspian's eyes. "And once the walls are built, we could have not only human artists, but also the Dwarfs, Fauns, and even Centaurs help with the engravings. They can also ensure that the halls and steps are suitable for those with two legs or four. Ali, you're brilliant!"

I blushed and muttered, "Oh, I don't know about that…"

But Caspian wasn't listening; he was busy asking Professor Cornelius for parchment and a quill with ink, so that he could hurriedly write all of this down. My embarrassment faded as I watched Caspian finish scribbling, and by that time, my blushes had faded and I was able to bid him a decent farewell when he made to leave.

However, as he reached the doorway, I stopped him and led him out into the hallway. "If I may ask…why _are_ you building a new Cair Paravel?"

Much as it pained me to ask him, I had to know. It might have been part of some sort of morbid curiosity, but I knew for a fact that by the time he died of old age, Caspian would have rebuilt the great palace of legend. Granted, Lewis hadn't been specific about _when_ Caspian had started and finished the project, but I had to check and make sure that I hadn't screwed up the timeline here out of unintentional carelessness.

Watching his eyes grew sorrowful, I felt bad for asking. "I wish to start my kingdom and build a life away from here," Caspian explained, his voice soft and filled with sadness. "There are too many dark and terrible memories in this place. It is where my father and mother died so long ago, leaving my childhood anything but carefree. And not even a year ago, my uncle tried to have me killed in a room not far from this one. I wish for everyone to settle someplace shining, full of hope and beauty, rather than this dreary castle. I believe that many others feel the same way."

He had a good point, and I told him so, earning me a genuine smile from him. "We will talk more on this later, Ali –I promise. Now, it is getting close to supper time, and I sorely need to show my ideas to the Council tomorrow. But starting in three days, we resume your weapons lessons again, no arguments."

I bit back a sigh as he walked away. I was _so_ not looking forward to resuming those lessons again, but knew it was pointless to argue, especially with him and on this particular matter.

As soon as he was out of sight, I did sigh, and turned back to the library, counting down the hours until I got my butt kicked by the King of Narnia.

* * *

AN: More fun coming soon! Review?


	13. The Calormen Empire

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything related to _**Narnia**_, in any way, shape, or form. Well, except the movies, but that's pretty much it. Only original creations (characters, places, etc) are mine.

AN: Here's the next chapter! I hope that it makes for some good reading. Thanks, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 13: The Calormen Empire:**

Rubbing Roan's coat with a soapy brush, I had to admire the color of it. From his head to his tail, Roan was a wonderful reddish brown color, with what seemed like a light dusting of white all over him. On his forehead was a white star the size of my palm, something he found annoying and which I thought suited him.

Today was warm, a perfect spring afternoon, and the Professor had given me the day off to spend time with my two favorite animals: Roan and Fang. Fang, however, was lying about in the courtyard, out of everyone's way, while I gave Roan a bath. Though he very much needed it, he wasn't happy to get one, even if it was me and not the stable boys giving it to him (I tended to be gentler with the cleaning brushes than the boys).

"Don't look so smug," Roan grumbled at Fang as I worked up a soapy lather on his shoulder, where there was a large dirt stain from the ride out we had just finished. "You're next, you know."

Fang immediately stopped grinning and gave me that sad puppy dog look. He knew it was useless to argue with me, though –they _always_ got a bath whenever we'd had a particularly muddy or dusty-dirty trip outside the castle. Since I had work to do in the library, I only gave them their baths on my days off –the servants in the castle usually took care of them, and always did a perfect job.

Soapy water splashed onto my tunic, and I sighed. Getting soaking wet was why I didn't like giving Roan a bath, but I needed to warm up my muscles before weapons practice with Caspian, so I might as well get myself messed up before then. It wasn't like he was going to care what I looked like anyway, not when he was trying to throw me into the dirt.

I rubbed the dirt/mud out of Roan's coat and sighed. "Alright, all finished," I said, nodding to a stable boy who was standing nearby. Fang would get his bath while I was with Caspian, as usual. "Come on, Fang, I'm already late for my meeting with the king."

The stable boy hid a grin, and I knew why. By now, everyone knew that I had private weapon lessons with Caspian, though how it had been kept hidden for so long was beyond me. Probably because Caspian managed to give his guards the slip; or he ordered that he be left alone while in the practice yards. Of course, he never said that he was alone with me, which would have provoked jealousy amongst the women of the castle, and caused a bit of a scandal.

Everyone knew now, though, because after indulging the King in his longing for privacy for so long, the Council had finally decided that they wanted to know what he was up to. And to keep them from finding out on their own, or through gossip, Caspian had told them that he was helping me, his friend, learn how to fight.

They weren't happy about it, but since it was clear that there was no 'romancing' involved between us, and since I never tried to pressure Caspian into giving me gifts, lands, or titles, the Council (and the rest of the castle) thought it alright that he and I continue to be friends, and to meet three or four times a week, as usual, in "privacy." It, of course, wasn't private when anyone could sneak in to watch from a corner, but since nothing other than fight lessons went on, any observers would soon find themselves bored within minutes.

As for my progress in these lessons, I now had a good enough understanding of knives, bow and arrow to defend myself, but I kept the lessons up just to spend time with Caspian. Not that I was crushing on the guy! No, I just liked spending time with my friend, particularly since I had so few of them, and was often lonely, just like him. Weapons practice provided a good enough excuse to meet, take out our daily frustrations on each other, and sit and chat about everything or nothing in particular. It was kind of fun.

Leaving Fang in my quarters, where a male servant had already set up the washtub and toiletries for his bath, I snatched up my weapons and ran for the practice yards, where Caspian was already waiting for me. Since he didn't look impatient, he must not have been there long.

"I'm sorry!" I blurted out, swiftly putting on the belt that had my knives on it. "It was bath day for Roan, and you know how hard it is to wash a horse who won't cooperate."

Caspian chuckled. "Yes, I know. But don't worry, you're only a moment or two late." He looked at my knives. "How are they suiting you? Well, I hope?"

Yesterday, he had surprised me with a pair of stunning fighting knives. "The blades were crafted by Dwarfs," he had said as I had stared at them. "The handles are of wood and deer antler, so they will not become slick when your hands are wet."

The blades themselves were nearly as long as my forearm, and shone beautifully in the sun whenever I used them. Caspian had said they were my reward for all of my hard work, but I knew they had been a birthday gift. I had told the Professor of my birth month and day (he'd given me an exquisite book on the Pevensie siblings' reign as a gift), and had no doubt that he'd secretly passed it on to Caspian. I had been rather touched by the gesture of this gift –having a king remember your birthday can be a big ego booster.

I smiled and ran my thumbs over the hilts. "They're perfect," I said. "And they're so much lighter than I thought they'd be."

He grinned. "That would be the Dwarf workmanship. Now, let us begin."

* * *

When we stopped for our usual break, I was relieved and rather proud of myself. I had somehow managed to survive knife practice with Caspian, and didn't get more than two or three grazes on my hands for my trouble.

"Your archery is nearly as good as mine," Caspian said with a grin as he nodded to where my practice equipment stood. "Perhaps soon, I will have the Centaurs craft you a fine bow, one that will rival Queen Susan's."

I snorted. "It would have to be a gift from Father Christmas for it to be that good," I retorted, taking a drink from a water skin. "But having a true bow would be much appreciated."

Wanting to change the subject away from weaponry, I turned it towards a favorite topic of Caspian's. "So, how goes the building of the new Cair Paravel? I hear the foundations have been set, and that they will be building upwards within days."

Sure enough, Caspian's eyes lit at the topic, but before he could say anything, we noticed a messenger rushing across the courtyard, a terrified expression on his face. It wasn't the fear of a subject interrupting his king's 'private time,' either –this was genuine fear, and I knew that it had to be very serious.

My stomach dropped. The last time someone looked this ill with panic was when the Giants had tried to rebel. But they couldn't possibly be trying that again –there were a two dozen Giants and Giantesses working on the rebuilding of Cair Paravel, over one hundred miles from here, along the coastline.

Amazingly enough, it had actually been a Giantess who located the ideal site for the great white castle and its surrounding city -a large patch of raised ground made of stone that had easy access to the sea. The stone could be (and recently had been) carved with a series of drainage ditches to carry away waste into an underground cavern that had been discovered there by Dwarfs. It would also be simple to add an intricate dock system, for there was a cove nearby that was deep and did not grow too shallow once the tide was out.

The finding of that building site had earned the Giantess and her people the respect of the King and his Council, and had secured the peace between the Giants and Narnia. Both were now working together to create the marvelous city, and in the six months since the treaty had been signed and the building begun, things had settled quite peacefully.

I nearly swallowed my tongue as the messenger bowed to his king, sweat running down his face. "Majesty, we have had word from the boarder."

Caspian rose from his seat on the bench. "Is it the Giants?" he asked, his voice cool and regal.

The messenger shook his head. "No, sire," he replied. "Word has come from Archenland, our ally to the south. Their winged boarder scouts say that they have seen unusual amounts of movement from the Calormen Empire, and wish to know what is to be done."

I could feel the blood draining from my face. The Calormen Empire had been a thorn in Narnia's side ever since the Golden Age, but thing had managed to remain relatively peaceful, for the most part. There had been the occasional movement against Narnia, particularly in King Peter's time –they had marched northwards just so one of their spoiled princes could try and get his hands on Queen Susan, who he had wanted to marry. I couldn't figure out if that Calorman Prince had actually cared for Susan, or if he just wanted to get his hands on the Narnian throne, but I'm guessing it was the latter.

But why were they mobilizing now, after a thousand years of nothing? I'd been here in Narnia for over a year, and hadn't heard a single thing about Calormen attempting anything like this! Why move now, while Narnia was strong, instead of a year ago, when it had still been weak from war?

'_Maybe they're afraid_?' I wondered, bidding Caspian farewell as he rushed into the castle, after the messenger. '_Could they be afraid that a strong Narnia would prove a greater enemy than a weak one_?'

But what could they hope to gain from attacking a strong, unified Narnia? Or, in another sense, what could they hope to prevent? It wasn't as if Caspian wanted to expand Narnia beyond its currant borders, but then, the Calormen ruler, the Tisroc, didn't know that.

The Tisroc should have guessed, though, given that we would never dare to assimilate Archenland, which was a sister-country to Narnia –after all, Archenland had been founded by a younger sibling of the rulers who had reigned over Narnia before the Pevensie siblings had (namely King Frank I and Queen Helen). Caspian wouldn't even try to skip over it and go strait to conquering the southern nation, which would be a serious breech of friendship on our part.

I quickly raced to the library, to warn the Professor that his presence would probably be needed in the Council Chamber very soon.

* * *

After pacing the library until well after nightfall (much to Fang's annoyance), my anxiety was both put to rest and increased by the Professor's arrival. There was a great deal of worry on his face, and I knew what the Council had decided.

"It will be war," he told me, collapsing into a chair by the fire. "For the second time in Caspian's reign, there is war."

"Well, technically, we didn't go into war with the Giants," I pointed out, pouring him a cup of wine from the cupboard. "We marched North, but didn't engage them in battle. We didn't even officially declare it to be war, so this would technically be our first war under Caspian's rule."

The Professor glared at me, but it was only a half-hearted one. "You are too clever for your own good, Ali," he said, taking a drink from his cup. "You may be right, but it is very frustrating."

Chuckling, I took the chair across from him, my amusement quickly fading. "But it will truly be war this time, won't it?" I quietly asked. "We won't be able to avoid it, not when the Calormen people are known for their love of battle and the honor it brings."

My mentor and friend sighed. "No, it will be actual war this time. The King will summon the army to full force, and in a few weeks, or perhaps a month, we will march out for Archenland and the Great Desert."

I almost choked on my tongue. "We? You can't seriously be going with them! You are too old to be marching out to war!"

Professor Cornelius shook his head. "No, I will not be involved in the battles themselves. But someone must be with them, to accompany Caspian and make note of the events that happen."

Scowling at him, I put my hands on my hips. "Well, I'm sure the King has people who can do that," I retorted. "He must have dozens of people who are able to take notes, write things down, and so on."

I glared at him sternly. "You, sir, are in no kind of shape to travel great distances, sleep on the ground for weeks on end, or be exposed to the hot climes of a desert! Nor should you be put in the middle of a great battle!"

"She is right, my old friend," said a voice from the doorway, making me gasp. Somehow, Caspian had slipped into the room without my noticing. "You cannot come with us."

The Professor did not look happy at having the two of us gang up on him like this. "But someone must record everything that goes on!" he protested. "And I will not be able to trust the clerks you take with you, or read their writing."

The victorious smirk I'd been wearing vanished at the words Caspian spoke next. "Then perhaps it is Ali who should go along with us."

* * *

I didn't speak to Caspian for weeks after that. Though his 'suggestion' had been met with excitement and agreement by the Professor, it had the opposite effect on me.

While I was glad that the Professor wouldn't be in danger, Caspian's idea about putting _me_ in the thick of it made me want to punch him. If I thought for a minute that I could get away with punching the King of Narnia, I would have happily done it.

The reason for my anger was clear: I _really_ didn't want to be heading off to war, especially when I had no experience with battles. I knew that Caspian would do his ultimate best to keep me out of danger, but things could go horribly wrong in a war, and there was no telling how safe I would be when the Calormen army came riding to face us.

On a lesser note, I really didn't want to be sleeping on the ground and living out of a pack again. Yes, I had grown soft in my new livelihood, and didn't relish the thought of sleeping on the hard ground, riding in a saddle until my entire body ached, and smelling like a horse from a day of riding. Hot baths were a good thing, too.

But I had no choice. I couldn't in good conscience stay here, safe and sound, and allow the Professor to go riding off with the King. Professor Cornelius was an old man, after all, and I was young and in better shape. Plus, I knew what he would expect in the way of notes, details, and little side messages, so I was the only one who could go in his place –anyone else would do things their way, not the Professor's, and that would frustrate him enough to want to risk riding out to the edge of the battlefield all on his own, just to make sure his records were right.

And so, while the army prepared itself, I was forced to do a lot of packing of my own. Professor Cornelius provided me with my own travel writing desk, complete with ink, spare quills, and other writing supplies, but the rest I had to sort out myself.

Camping supplies were top on my list, especially after what I'd experienced my very first week here in Narnia. At least this time I would have a sleeping bag, blankets, a proper saddle meant for long-distance riding, reins, and a cloak that was waterproof. I also made sure to pack plenty of soap, medicines (just in case), and my bottle of aspirin, as well as a few feminine necessities. Lucky for me, following the army in a wooden cart would be my very own tent, a rough cot for sleeping on, and a few bits of wood furniture, all of it at Caspian's insistence. I guess it was his way of making things up to me, but in the end I was still mad at him.

Packing clothing was more difficult. I knew there would be a limited amount of space in the travel packs provided for me by Caspian, so I decided to pack a small array of clothing that I could be rough on and clean without fear of the material falling apart at the seams. All of it was subtle, almost camouflaged items that could be worn in either the forest or in the desert –the colors ranged from brown and green, to dusty beige and sand, and all of it was comfortable and breathable, particularly the ones I would wear in the desert. I hated hot weather with a passion, and made sure to pack so that I wouldn't be _too_ miserable in that climate.

With all of the focus I had put into packing, unpacking, and repacking again (just to be sure I hadn't packed too much or forgotten something), the time passed too quickly. It didn't help that Professor Cornelius had me help with his research on the Calormen Empire, just so I would have a stack of notes to carry with me, for reference purposes.

Between those two tasks, I was so busy I was shocked when Caspian sent me a note, declaring that we would be leaving within a day.

* * *

"Are you going to ignore me for the entire journey?" Caspian asked, half serious, half teasing. "I miss our talks together, and it is going to be a very long way to our final destination."

Roan's ears flicked back towards me, eager to hear my reply. He and Fang knew that I was very unhappy at being put near the battlefield, and that I was still more than a little angry at Caspian for it. However, I was doing my best to keep my face expressionless –we _were_ riding at the head of the army, after all, and had several thousand pairs of eyes trained on us as we rode towards the enemy.

From my right, Fang gave me a sly look, but said nothing as he kept pace with Roan's half-trot. To my left, Caspian was giving me a sad, puppy dog look that was very unbecoming a king –if he looked any more downfallen, the army was going to think that he had lost confidence in their ability to win the war, and that would be very bad for morale.

Sighing, I rolled my eyes and directed Roan to get closer to him. "Stop looking at me like that," I whispered, my voice firm. "You're going to lower the morale of your fighters, and you can't afford that, not when it's the Calormen army you're facing!"

Caspian's face quickly schooled into a calm collected one, though his eyes still remained sad. "But you are still angry, aren't you?" he softly asked, looking to make sure his honor guards weren't listening. "You haven't forgiven me for having you accompany us south."

I huffed my annoyance through my nose. "I just don't understand why you would want to put me in danger," I said, keeping hold of my anger. "I'm no warrior! You should have Trumpkin and Reepicheep here, not me. I have no experience on the battlefield, and in all likelihood, I'll be killed, all for the sake of the Professor wanting a stack of notes that any clerk could provide him! It's absurd!"

"You are able to fight, and the Professor is not," Caspian explained in a tone that was more suited for a child than for me. "You can take notes that are to his liking, and you will be able to read the reference notes he made without becoming confused."

He lowered his voice. "And I needed people I trust both with me and back at the castle. Trumpkin and Reepicheep are needed there, to keep everything stable in the kingdom while I am at the battlefield." His usually gentle eyes turned intense as he looked at me. "And I know I can trust you, Ali, which is why you are here. You have proven yourself a keen observer and good council for when I need it most. I need you as much as I need the warriors that march with us."

It had to be one of the most touching things anyone had ever said to me, and I could (sort of) see his point of view. It didn't matter that I was doing this for Aslan –Caspian was my friend, and for him to put so much trust in me was an honor. It was funny how I, a mere commoner, could find herself riding beside a king, at the head of a great army heading off to battle. It was like something out of my favorite fantasy book!

'_Well, considering the circumstances, it kind of is_,' I laughed to myself.

Looking up at him, I smiled. "Thank you," I said, earning a relieved smile from Caspian in return. "Am I your secret weapon again, then?"

He grinned. "Of course you are. How else am I going to get anything done without you constantly providing logical advice?"

We both laughed, which seemed to please both Roan and Fang a great deal. Meanwhile, Caspian's mount, a lovely chocolate-brown gelding with a lighter mane and tail, turned his head and winked at me before turning his attention back to where we were going. Around us, some of Caspian's guards relaxed –even the Centaurs seemed to have a bit of tension ease out of them.

'_Wow_,' I marveled as the nearest Centaur exchanged a relieved look with the mounted soldier next to him. '_I guess our little quarrel didn't sit well with them_.'

Or perhaps they didn't want an angry young woman with them, making things difficult. Well, that was past now, and ahead of us lay something far more important than a tiny disagreement. Now that I had a reason for going (even if I didn't like or agree with it), I was going to have to prepare myself as much as possible, and keep an eye out on Caspian, to make sure he stayed safe. It's what Aslan would have wanted, and it was something I was willing to do.

* * *

AN: More fun and drama to come next chapter! Review?


	14. For King and Country

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing _**Narnia **_related (though I wish I did!). Only original characters are mine.

AN: A bit of a cliffhanger at the end of the chapter, so prepare for some surprises! Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 14: For King and Country:**

"I hate the desert," I grumbled to Fang, who lay on a carpet across the tent from me.

At least I had my own tent –the fighters (which were both male and female of many different races) slept either on the ground, or shared a small tent with a few others. I felt rather guilty having a tent all to myself, but Caspian pointed out that I had Fang with me, and Roan was literally always right outside my 'door,' so that he could come inside when it rained.

'_Not that there's much rain here in the desert_,' I thought with a sigh.

I'd somehow managed to survive the ten-day trek through the Narnian countryside, which wasn't so bad considering we had been traveling at a rather slow, but steady pace. But to my annoyance, each night, my tent was set up within twenty feet of Caspian's, rather than with the army. I guess it was for my own protection, but considering that every male here was chivalrous to a fault, and the females were bore no hostilities towards me, there was no fear of my being harmed by anyone. I might have scandalized the humans with my choice of wearing breeches while riding, but since the female fighters were in armor and heavily armed, anyone's disapproval and anger was relatively short-lived.

I would have protested Caspian's little show of favoritism with a tent near his, but I'd learned quite early not to question the King's orders, particularly in front of his subjects. There was no way I was going to undermine his authority –it was never a good idea to make a monarch look bad!

The trip through Narnia had been uneventful -we rode all day, resting occasionally for a meal or a breath, and continued onwards until just before dark. As I was a friend of the King's, I was allowed within his little social circle, and as such, was able to eat whatever he was having (which tended to be a bit better than what the soldiers got). However, I was not allowed to be 'alone' with the King, unless Fang or Roan were there to play chaperone. It was ridiculous, but given the etiquette they all lived by, it was necessary.

And so the days passed, uneventful and rather dull. Our journey through Archenland, however, was another story.

* * *

Except for my own memory and the odd tidbits I'd read in the Professor's library, I knew next to nothing about Narnia's southern neighbor, and had been rather nervous about going through the mountain pass and on into the rather hilly kingdom. Caspian said that the current ruler was King Nain, and that the letters they'd exchanged were kind and friendly. King Nain had even given permission for us to ride through his nation so that we could reach the Great Desert quickly, rather than taking the very long way around.

When we arrived at the capital city of Anvard, King Nain was there to greet us. Archenland was not a wealthy country, but they were far from poor –as such, they welcomed us with fresh supplies to restock what had been consumed during the journey, and the offer of smiths to help go over the weaponry we carried with us. Caspian had accepted all of these, and was completely understanding of his fellow king's hesitancy to joining the battle.

"Gladly would I provide as many warriors as you need for this endeavor, but the population of my realm is not as large as Narnia's. I dare not think what would happen should I lose all of the men provided to you," King Nain said over dinner. He had invited Caspian to dine with him, and as such, all of the Narnian councilors as well. I had somehow gotten an invitation (probably because I was Caspian's traveling historian), but as long as I got a wonderful meal at an actual table, rather than in the dirt beside a campfire, I didn't mind.

Caspian had said that he understood, and didn't blame King Nain in the least. "War is a horrible thing, and I would not dare to take every able bodied from you," he said. "However, I would like as many as can be spared. If the Calormen army wins against us, you will be the first place they will conquer, and I know you do not wish for that to happen. You won against them in King Peter's time, but who knows what will happen with _this_ war?"

King Nain's eyes narrowed, but it was not out of anger against Caspian; it was against the Calormen people, and it was clear that he did not want to risk an invasion any more that Caspian did. By the time we were ready to depart three days later, we had added several hundred fighters to our army, the banners of Narnia waving alongside those of Archenland.

* * *

And so we had marched here, to the desert, where I was now sitting on a cushioned little stool at a small table with my writing desk on it. The only other items in the tent were the rug where Fang slept, and a small fold-out bed frame with some canvas stretched over it, which had my sleeping bag on it. There was also a small table beside my makeshift bed (which held three cups and a pitcher), and two rough wooden racks: one that held my knives, and one with Roan's saddle on it. In the corner were my travel packs. Very basic stuff, and it was all I pretty much needed out here in the middle of nowhere.

In case anyone couldn't tell, hot climates did not agree with me, especially when sand was involved. As it was, we were currently perched at the edge of the desert, at a very good spot that had a plentiful water source, so there was no fear of going thirsty. Actually, we were camped at the edge of a small cluster of mountains that jutted into the Great Desert –lucky for us, these mountains had a strong river running from it to the Winding Arrow River, which ran along Archenland's southern border, and separated it from the desert.

Caspian considered this place a good sign. There was water, the ground was more firm than sandy, and we had perfect places for Griffins to perch and keep a sharp eye out for our enemy. Since the capitol city of Tashbaan was a short distance away, the Griffins were invaluable in being able to spot the Calormen army before they were too close. So far, we only knew that they had mobilized, and settled a short distance outside of Tashbaan, which was still a good march away from our own army.

But unlike the others, my tent had been carefully and strategically placed as far away from the Calormen army as possible, as had Caspian's. No one was willing to risk the King's safety (except for the man himself), and Caspian wasn't willing to risk _my_ safety, so we were placed near one another at the back of the tents. Luckily, we were perched up on a rise in the ground, so we could look out over our own army, and still vaguely see Tashbaan in the distance.

Glaring at my writing desk, I tried to think of a way to keep myself from begin bored to death, but was interrupted by Fang lifting his head and sniffing. "Someone's coming," he said. Since he wasn't racing to the door flap of the tent, teeth bared, I knew it had to be a friend, or at least a Narnian.

"May I enter?" called a familiar voice. It was Caspian.

I immediately called for him to come in, which he quickly did, bringing with him a warm wind from the desert as he left the tent flap open.

"What brings you here?" I asked, going to pour him a cup of water.

The hot desert winds could sometimes be stifling, and I had to constantly urge everyone to drink water, to keep from drying out. Even though we were technically at the edge of a mountain range, it wasn't the cool, green temperate climate of Narnia, so everyone had to keep themselves hydrated.

Caspian accepted the cup and took a seat on the floor beside Fang, a move that was decidedly not 'king-like.' "I received word an hour ago from the leader of the Calormen army," he said, reaching out to give Fang a scratch on the head. "They have declared that the Narnian army must retreat, and give way to them, or else."

He smirked at me. "They also called us barbarians, and said that they would "put us in our place" for interfering with their endeavors to go northwards."

I rolled my eyes. "Rather overly dramatic, don't you think?" Shaking my head, I looked at him very carefully. "So, what did you say in return? I assume the messenger sent to you was given a return message from you to their leader?"

He hesitated. "Actually, he turned and left the moment I finished reading the message aloud to those around me. The letter ended with them saying that, if it is to be war that we desire, we simply have to raise all of our banners at once. Then, the next day, there will be a war."

Okay, I knew where this was going. "So it will be war at dawn, then?" I whispered, looking down at the ground.

"Yes," he confirmed. Then he hesitated a moment, causing me to look at him. "I wish for you to remain here, away from danger," Caspian said, the sad, guild-ridden expression on his face surprising me. "You were right about my being foolish in bringing you with me, Ali. I had not thought that they would truly fight once they saw the size of our army and realized that we are strong and united. I am sorry."

I rushed to his side and put a comforting hand on his arm. "I was angry, and did think you foolish at first," I said honestly, "But I am no longer so. And to be quite honest, if I were skilled and experienced enough, I would ride into battle at your side, like the others."

Something softened in Caspian's gaze as he reached up to take my hand and squeeze it. "And given the choice, I would gladly accept you as one of my soldiers," he softly replied. "But I cannot risk your life in such a way. I will keep back one or two guards for you, to keep you safe. Promise that you will stay here, and go no closer to the battle?"

Though I wasn't happy about it, I gave him my word. The relief on Caspian's face spoke volumes, and I knew that it was the right answer.

* * *

As soon as Caspian had left my tent to order the banners to be unfurled, I stepped out of the tent, Fang at my heels, and headed for the cooking area. A Centaur named Silvermane was the camp chef, and the instant he saw me, he went to one of the three bubbling cauldrons and dished up a bowl of steaming hot vegetable stew for me.

Like all Centaurs, Silvermane was tall, broad-shouldered, strong, and quick on his feet. There was one big difference between him and the others of his kind –though he was still young, his hair and coat were silvery white-blonde in color, and the reason for his name.

But Silvermane wasn't just the camp cook; he was also a crack-shot archer, with knives and sword as a close second. He had been my archery instructor the whole ride south, teaching me to shoot from Roan's back while my horse was standing still or in motion. Needless to say, I was now a hell of a lot better at archery than I had been before.

Smiling, I accepted the stew without question. As the banners went up around us, Silvermane sighed. "And so it begins, my dear Ali," he said, voice noble and soft at the same time. "Has the King ordered you to stay behind?"

I nodded, my face clearly showing my unhappiness at it all. "I just worry that something will happen to him when I'm not looking," I muttered, spooning some broth into my mouth.

Silvermane reached out and gently gripped my shoulder. "Though you have come far in your training, it is not yet time for you to be in battle," he said, very teacher-like. "Pray that this is the last time war comes to us in this lifetime, and that you need never know it." He had been involved in the War between the Telmarines and Narnians, and already seen too much death.

"I swore to keep away from the battlefield," I assured him. "Don't worry; I'm sure everything will be fine."

Inside, though, I wasn't so sure. I had a sort of 'instinct' when it came to bad things happening –my stomach always went into knots, creating a twisting sensation that wasn't quite nausea and not quite pain, and the worse the discomfort was, the worse the upcoming situation would be. I hadn't had it the day I'd been hit by that vehicle, but then, I'd been so anxious over my argument with my friends that I wouldn't have been able to sense or feel anything else.

Right now, my gut instinct was telling me that something extremely bad was going to happen tomorrow, and that I would have to break my promise to my friend and king. That didn't sit well with me –I'd always kept my promises in the past, and I really didn't want to start breaking them now.

'_But I have no choice_,' I reasoned with myself. '_If Caspian is in danger, it is my duty to protect him. If my keeping a promise ends in him getting killed, I'll never forgive myself_.'

And if I broke my promise, at least Caspian would be alive and able to forgive me later –hopefully, anyway.

Finishing my stew, I returned to my tent to be sure that my knives were sharp and ready for tomorrow. Silvermane had been teaching me to shoot with a bow from the supply carts, so I didn't have one of my own. Oh, well. I'd have to ask for some armor, just in case, and hopefully it would fit right.

I sighed. There was so much to do, and not enough time to do it!

* * *

Watching the army form ranks, I swallowed hard and felt my leather chest cover shift as I tried to get comfortable in my saddle. I wasn't strong enough for metal armor, but the leather piece seemed tough and strong, so I wasn't too badly off. I had arm guards, shin guards, strong leather shoulder covers, and a leather cover on my back. There was a neck guard as well, and a light helmet. At my sides were my knives, and there were two spare ones in each boot.

But the crown of my weaponry lay on my back. The first was a quiver full of red fletched arrows, and with it was the most famous bow in all of Narnia: Queen Susan's own magical bow. It was her quiver as well, and I honestly could not believe that they had been brought along on this journey. Apparently Caspian had thought it might be useful in a war, and he'd brought them locked up in a small trunk, just in case.

This morning, as everyone had begun to prepare for battle, Caspian himself had stopped by my tent and presented me with these treasures. His reason for giving them to me was the fact that I was the least experienced fighter in the army, and he felt it would do be good to have Susan's weapons in reach. Well, he had King Peter's sword, so why not? Besides, I did feel better having them, and it gave me a nice boost in confidence, which I needed very badly.

Still, I was scared out of my wits. War was a horrible thing, and I knew that some of the fighters out there would not be returning home. However, if we won this day, peace would reign over Narnia for a long time indeed –and that was a good reason to fight.

At my left, Silvermane shifted from hoof to hoof. "I do not like it," he muttered. "You are an able fighter, and are armed with Queen Susan's own bow, which will never miss its target. You should be with the other archers, not hiding here!"

"I agree," Roan said, looking over his shoulder at me. "And even if you were with the archers, you would not be defenseless. I would be with you, as would Fang, and I could easily get you out of danger. It isn't right for you to be cast aside like this, not when the King needs every warrior to help win the battle."

To my right, Fang was silent, but no less angry than the others. He, too, thought I should fight, and I didn't blame him –armed with Queen Susan's bow, I knew there would be no chance I could miss my targets, and that I should be out there with the others. Yes, I was scared, but this was war –why should I be given special treatment when others were marching to their deaths?

Above us circled a handful of Griffons, one of which was named Quickfeather, who was one of my 'guards' during the battle. She was as fast as her name indicated, and hovered above the raised area where I sat upon Roan's back, looking out and down upon the Narnian army. Caspian rode before his warriors, preparing them for what was to come. A mile or so away, the Calormen army stood ready to charge at the signal. It was _very_ nerve-wracking.

Gritting my teeth, I practically jumped at the sound of horns sounding from both armies. The battle had begun.

* * *

An hour later, my nerves were completely shot, and there was a monstrous nagging feeling in my gut.

"I don't like it," I said aloud, watching the fighting going on below. "I have a bad feeling, as though something horrible is going to happen to the King, and I need to be there to make sure it doesn't."

Silvermane looked at me, fire in his black eyes. "Then we must go, even if it does break your word to the king," he said, absolute certainty in his eyes.

I stared at him. "You believe me?" I blurted out, surprised.

He smiled at my surprised expression. "Indeed. There are times when we Centaurs experience such a thing, and when we do, we know what must be carried out. Come, let us go. Quickfeather will keep a look out from above while we try to reach the king."

Since Caspian was mounted and wearing leather-and-gold armor, he was going to be hard to miss, even by me. Besides, Fang knew Caspian's scent like the back of his paw, and could lead me to him.

Nodding, I looked at my friends. "Let's go."

* * *

It was clear where Caspian was –at the front of the battle, with his finest warriors fighting against the Calormen leaders and _their_ best. Since it was faster to go around the battling armies than to wade through them, I decided to take the long route, though it wasn't exactly easy.

I can honestly say that riding into a seething mass of fighting warriors is just as thrilling as it looks on television, but at the same time, it was scary as hell. Silvermane kept me safe from stray blows aimed at me by Calormen warriors, and Fang made sure that anyone who saw him knew that he could tear their face off with his teeth. Roan was no placid pony, either, and he was happy to deal a blow with his hooves to any Calormen fighter who tried to kick a Narnian while they were down.

I tried to close my ears to the goings on around me, but it was hard. There were battle cries, cries filled with fear, pain, sorrow, and anger, and the sound of weapons clashing against one another. It was war, pure and simple, and it took all of my willpower to focus on finding Caspian and not break down weeping at the senselessness of it all.

At last, after what felt like ages, I saw him fighting what looked like a Calormen general (or their equivalent). I turned to Silvermane, to signal that I had found Caspian, but he was already engaged in battle with three Calormen cavalrymen.

'_Looks like it's up to me_,' I thought, gritting by teeth and urging Roan forward as I dropped the reins so that I could draw my knives.

I'd never had to kill another human being before, and I decided that, today, I would only kill when absolutely necessary. Instead, when a Calormen rushed at me, I did my best to wound or maim, but not kill. Fang had no qualms about it, nor did Roan, but I did, and so I tried my best to not go against my beliefs.

It took some time, but eventually, I made my way to Caspian's side, warding off anyone who tried to get at him while his back was turned. When he noticed what I was doing, he gave me a brief glare of anger, but didn't order me away. That was probably because he was too busy kicking some serious butt, and the Calormen fighters around him were starting to get desperately afraid.

I don't know what made me turn to look around, but I was glad I did. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man draw his bow, and felt my heart drop. The razor-sharp point was aimed straight at me –no, not at me, _behind_ me!

Kicking Roan sharply in the sides, I urged him forward, putting myself between Caspian and the archer just as the shot let loose. The battlefield was so full of sound that the arrow's flight through the air didn't reach my ears until it was inches away.

Time seemed to warp around me, either running too fast, too slow, or standing utterly still. I watched as the arrow came towards me, my mind not registering it until I heard the thud of it piercing through the leather armor that had been meant to protect me.

Intense pain exploded in my left shoulder, the momentum of the arrow nearly knocking me out of the saddle as it hit. I gasped, my eyes filling with tears as I tried to hang onto the saddle horn. Roan neighed, my name mixed in with his cry as he shifted and dance around, doing his best to keep me in the saddle.

Something snarled angrily from my right, and I saw a streak of grey-black race through the fighting armies, somehow avoiding getting caught up in the clusters of fighting warriors. Through the painful haze that hung in front of my eyes, I saw Fang leap and sink his teeth into the Calormen's throat, bringing the man down in seconds.

And for a while, that was the last thing I knew, my eyes closing as I slumped forward over Roan's neck.

* * *

AN: Cliffhanger! Please don't hate me, the next chapter will be up soon, I promise. Please be kind and review!


	15. A Heroine of Narnia

Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to _**The Chronicles of Narnia**_. Only original characters belong to me.

AN: Here is the last chapter of this story, which will soon be followed by the epilogue. Don't worry, though; the second part of my Narnia trilogy will be up next week! Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 15: A Heroine of Narnia:**

Watching Ali sway in the saddle, an arrow lodged in her shoulder and her face pale as moonlight, Caspian felt ill. Things had been going so well but a moment ago –the last of his enemies had fallen before his sword, giving him a sense of immense triumph. The Calormen and their army were said to be fierce, but they did not seem to have the heart to beat the Narnians.

Now he could only watch as one of his most trusted friends seemed to be dying before his very eyes.

"No!" he cried, praying to Aslan that what he was seeing wasn't true.

Around him, a few warring fighters paused in mid-swing, looking between him and the injured woman for a brief moment before returning to the fight. Like Caspian, they had seen the surprise on her face, as well as the pain and the lack of comprehension at what had just happened to her. As her mount struggled to try and keep her in the saddle, Ali's brown eyes turned downwards to look at the arrow, her mouth forming an 'o' as she began slipping into shock and unconsciousness.

Fearing for her safety, Caspian cried out and slashed down an enemy and rushed to Ali's side, arriving just as she began to slip forward on Roan's back. Reaching out, Caspian nearly lost his sword as he tried to catch her with one or both arms. Fortunately, he was able to pull her against his chest with one arm, her head falling onto his left shoulder as she lost consciousness.

Wrapping his arm tightly around her, Caspian hauled Ali onto his mount and shifted the reins to that hand, turning his horse for the camp and not once losing his grip on his weapon. It was going to be a race against time to get his friend seen to.

Around him, Caspian saw other Narnian solders spot him and his burden, and was heartened to see a flicker of anger and determination in their eyes. They did not like seeing a woman taking enemy fire, particularly not a friend of their King, and would not let this insult stand.

Silvermane rode to meet him, an angry, but also somewhat shamed look on his face. "Forgive me, sire," he murmured, bowing his head. "I tried to protect her, but could not. Let me take her to the healers; you must lead another charge against the Calormen army."

He didn't like leaving Ali like this, but Caspian knew that Silvermane was right. Reluctantly, he passed Ali to the Centaur's gentle arms and turned, raising his sword. Crying out for his troops to rally to him, he urged his mount forward, carrying with him the might of Narnia against the force that threatened his kingdom.

* * *

Rushing into the healing tent, Silvermane felt a surge of determination, an emotion that almost overcame the shame he felt in failing Ali. His King had commanded him to protect the girl, and he had failed –in helping heal her, he hoped to gain her forgiveness, as well as the King's.

"A healer!" he cried, getting the attention of a Faun.

The Faun was quick to assess the situation, and raced to take Ali's prone form from Silvermane's arms. In less than a moment, she was laid out on a travel cot, her head gently cradled by a soft pillow as the Faun, named Nausus, began pulling away Ali's armor and clothes to get a better look at her wounded shoulder.

Nausus hissed in sympathy. "It is a grave wound," he said, taking a cloth and pressing it against the wound to slow the bleeding. "Thank Aslan that she is unconscious."

Silvermane looked at the poor girl in worry. "Can you help her?"

Nausus bit his lower lip. "It is going to be risky. The arrow has hit a vein, and if I remove it at the wrong moment, she will die from blood loss in minutes." He looked over his shoulder at another waiting Faun. "Bring me the healing cordial of Queen Lucy, at once! I need it uncapped and ready to pour into her mouth the moment the arrow is removed."

Shifting from hoof-to-hoof, Silvermane could see why the Faun was taking that course of action. If the cordial were administered too soon, the wound would heal around the arrow, and that would make removing it as dangerous as it had been when it hit her. It must be done this way.

"Do you need me to hold her down?" Silvermane asked wearily.

Nausus nodded his head, his brown curls flopping about his large, goat-like ears. "When I remove the arrow, she may react badly. You must hold her until I can administer the cordial."

Silvermane did as requested, his hands gently but firmly holding Ali down to the bed. "Do it quickly," he said, solemn as the cordial was brought.

It was over in less than a minute. Nausus grasped the arrow firmly, and with a great wrench, pulled it free of Ali's shoulder. The girl's reaction nearly tore the heart of everyone within hearing, as she screamed out in pain and began to whimper as the wound started to bleed profusely. As she lay gasping for air and voicing her pain, Nausus took the uncorked cordial bottle and poured a drop into Ali's open mouth.

Both Faun and Centaur breathed a sigh of relief when she fell back into unconsciousness, the wound sealing up neatly before their eyes. There wasn't even a scar to show for it, either. With her shoulder now healed and her body resting, the two Narnians stepped away and turned to different tasks: Silvermane to protect the tent entrance, and Nausus to prepare for more incoming wounded.

* * *

Fearing the worst for his friend, Caspian had no time to savor his victory. He had soundly thrashed his enemy, sending the entire Calormen army fleeing in fear back to their capital. There were many wounded, but fewer killed than he had anticipated –the Narnians were still battle-hardened from the war with the (former) Telmarines, and they always kept themselves in pristine fighting shape.

The Calormen warriors, however, were a different story. They had underestimated the Narnians, and had not prepared themselves for battle by knowing their enemy. Caspian guessed that they had not experienced fights with Centaurs, Fauns, and Dwarfs for over a thousand years, and had long forgotten that those races were included in the army of Narnia.

'_And they had also thought us weak, since we included females in the army as well_,' Caspian thought scornfully. '_They thought that we had to be desperate to have females fight for us_.'

That idea had come from the enemy seeing Ali on the battlefield. Unlike the female Centaurs, Fauns and Dwarfs, who had been so heavily armored it had been difficult to distinguish them from the males, Ali had been obviously a woman, and that had made the Calormen army very arrogant. When she had taken the arrow for him, Caspian had seen the smug looks on the enemy's faces, and knew he had found a weakness to exploit; their overconfidence was to be their downfall.

It had been simple to rally his troops, for word had spread of Ali's actions, and every single Narnian was angered at the attempt to kill their king with an arrow while his back was turned. With his thick armor, there was a barely-there chance of him getting injured by an aimed arrow, but that was not the point –it was the fact that the enemy had stooped so low that had infuriated Caspian's fighters, and given the army a determination that was almost overwhelming, even to Caspian.

The battle was won within the day, with many Calormen fighters dead or wounded. It wasn't long before they signaled their surrender, and by nightfall, the Tisroc of Calormen swore to end his attempts on Narnia, for at least the next few generations. Caspian was satisfied with that, and he was sure his Council would be, as well.

Exhausted and triumphant, Caspian wished to see how Ali faired, but was too drained. His armor had started to grow heavier with each passing moment, and it was all he could do to get out of his metal suit, climb into his sleeping cot and fall into blissful unconsciousness.

When dawn came, he was up early to meet with the Calormen delegation sent from the Tisroc. Together, both sides formulated a treaty that was quickly signed by both the Narnian and Calormen representatives, though the Calormen ambassadors looked unhappy about the whole thing. It seemed that peace wasn't part of their natures, and their defeat left a very sour look upon their faces. Caspian could only hope that the treaty held, at least for a while.

When he was freed of his obligations for the day, he allowed himself the chance to check on Ali. Trying to remain unobtrusive, Caspian quietly entered the healing tent, eyes searching for his friend until the chief healer approached him.

"She is resting, sire," said Nausus, the Faun in charge of the healers. "Her wound was severe, and had she not been brought here swiftly, she would mostly likely be in Aslan's Country at this moment."

Caspian felt his face pale, but Nausus was quick to reassure him. "Fear not, sire," he said with a smile. "Queen Lucy's cordial has healed her wound, leaving not even a mark. For now, she needs nothing but rest and good food to build up her strength. By the time we are able to travel back home, the Lady will be perfectly well again. For now, all you can do is wait for her to wake."

Having no choice but to take the Faun's word for it, Caspian decided to make a quick tour around the camp to pass the time, checking on as many of his people as he could. All were in good spirits, though there was a touch of sadness in the air as some mourned lost comrades in arms. He also visited the others who had been wounded, and was glad that the magic healing cordial was being used on everyone who was hurt. It had not been easy transporting the delicate glass bottle across such a large distance, but it had most certainly been worth it –particularly in one case.

After two days, his tasks were done, and Caspian decided it was time to take up residence in a chair at Ali's bedside. She was pale, but much to his relief, appeared to be sleeping quite deeply. There was no indication that she was in pain or discomfort, and for all intents and purposes, seemed to be doing nothing more than sleeping, not recovering from a life-threatening injury.

It wasn't long before the stress of the past few days caught up with him. As he sat there, smelling the fresh scent of mint, lemon, and other soothing smells being put into the air by the healers, Caspian found himself drifting to sleep.

* * *

My eyes slowly drifted open, and rather than blazing sunlight beaming in through thin canvas, I was happy to discover that the tent I currently lay in was pleasantly and soothingly lit. The material of the tent was thick enough to create a comfortable place to sleep for the patients residing in it, and the air was full of scents that were comforting and invigorating. Taking a deep breath, I detected mint, a touch of lemon, and rosemary all around me.

Coming a bit more to my senses, I dared to turn my head around a little, checking to see what kind of shape I was in. To my delight, I was in no pain –not even my shoulder hurt, and I could easily guess why that was.

'_I love that cordial_,' I smiled to myself. It must have taken care of not only the arrow wound, but also any lingering aches and pains, because all I felt was a bit stiffness from sleeping so long on my back.

'_I wonder how long I was out_?' It couldn't have been too long, could it?

Something shifted to my right, catching my attention. Blinking my eyes to clear them, I spotted Caspian napping, bent forward on my cot, his arms folded under his head as he slept. It was kind of fascinating, seeing him this vulnerable, and to be honest, with his scruffy attempt at a beard and his long hair trailing around his face, he looked very adorable.

Smiling, I looked and saw a Faun approaching, a pleased look on his rather professional face when he saw me awake. "Ah, excellent," he said, keeping his voice quiet, so as not to wake Caspian. "I am Nausus. You, my lady, are quite a lucky person, and a good sleeper. Now, I like being straightforward with patients, so I will be blunt."

He paused to make sure I was listening, and continued on about how serious my injury was, how they had removed the arrow and administered Queen Lucy's magic cordial, and how I had been asleep for more than two days.

"Your body needed rest, even with the cordial," he explained at my shocked expression. "The magic healed you, but with the blood loss, a great deal of rest was needed for you to regain your strength."

Nausus eyed me closely, and the "doctor face" he'd been wearing slipped away. "I think a good meal is in order, both for you and your rather distinguished visitor. Rest a moment; I will return shortly."

Left with no choice, I slowly shifted myself into a sitting position, my eyes darting around to look at my surroundings. The tent I was in was fairly large, but there were open flaps in various places that led to other tents, meaning that there might be many others who had needed healing besides me. I could see numerous cots in this area, but not all of them were occupied. Perhaps there were fewer hurt than I thought? Or perhaps they had already been treated and left.

Beside me, Caspian stirred, his head lifting up as he blinked sleepily. Yawning and stretching out his limbs, he didn't notice that I was awake until mid-stretch, his arms up above his head and a wince on his face. I had to bust out laughing as he started in surprise, almost falling out of his chair as he tried to regain his dignity at being caught at such an open moment.

"Well, I'm glad you're amused," he grumbled, quickly righting himself as I giggled, one hand over my mouth as he glared half-heartedly at me.

Fortunately for Caspian, Nausus returned, a tray with two servings of food and water on it. He left the tray on my lap and handed his king his meal with a slight bow, which Caspian accepted with a gracious bow of his own. Without a word, Nausus turned and headed for the far side of the tent, leaving Caspian and I pretty much to ourselves.

Our lunch (since I assumed it was afternoon) was a bowl of soup for me, and roasted meat, vegetables, and water for Caspian. Though I'd have given anything to have what Caspian was eating, the soup was delicious and filling, with my stomach very happy to get it.

Apparently Caspian was as hungry as I was, because we both finished our meals at about the same time. We then stacked our empty dishes and cups together on the tray, and put it on a side table for someone to carry away later. Then, a rather awkward silence settled in, the only sounds coming from outside the tent.

"I feared for you," he suddenly said, causing me to look at him in surprise. "You were so pale, and the arrow –Oh, great Aslan; the arrow had struck you through your armor! What were you thinking, doing something such as that?"

I reached out and took his hand. "It's alright," I tried to soothe him. "And if I hadn't taken that arrow, who knows whether or not it would have killed you? I would rather not take that chance, not when it comes to keeping you safe."

Caspian sighed and shook his head. "You saved my life, Ali. And by saving my life, you have kept the line of succession intact, and Narnia from experiencing its second civil war within a year." He squeezed my hand, brown eyes looking deep into my own. "When we return to Narnia, I will have you ennobled. Which title would you like? You will be a Lady, at the least, but if you would like to be a Countess or Duchess, you have but to say so, and you shall have the lands to match it."

_Me_, a countess or a duchess? The idea was completely ridiculous, and if Caspian hadn't looked so damned determined on actually doing it, I would have laughed aloud at the suggestion. As it was, I knew I had to turn down his offer –I would be a terrible noblewoman, and the idea of having to wear fancy dresses _every day_ and being ladylike was _so_ not appealing.

Looking at him, I saw the utter trust in his eyes, and knew that I had achieved what Aslan wanted: I had earned the trust of the King of Narnia, and all without having to drop the Great Lion's name to get it. It was probably the time to bare my soul to him –well, most of it, anyway.

'_Well, he's going to have to learn the truth eventually, and I'd rather it was from me than from someone else, like the Professor or my Horse or Wolf_.'

Sighing, I looked at my friend. "Caspian, there is something I need to tell you…"

* * *

When I finished, I sat and watched his face very closely. For someone who had just heard what I'd told him, Caspian was taking this remarkably well -then again, Narnians were used to people from other worlds appearing here in times of crisis, so perhaps it wasn't too weird for him to absorb.

There were a few things I had left out of my story, though.

The main one was the fact that I was from what could only be described as a parallel universe or different dimension of reality where all of this was a book I had adored for years. Even the thought of that idea made my head hurt –and I was the one it had happened to!

Second, I was not going to admit to being from a completely different time than the Pevensie children, because he might ask questions about what had happened to them, and again, I didn't want to mention that this whole thing was a book and that I knew what was "supposed" to happen. I did _technically_ know what happened to the Pevensie siblings after their last visits to Narnia, but I didn't want to jinks it by saying anything. Besides, it might or might not happen like the books said.

Third, I did not mention the incident that had brought me here. Caspian had had enough of a hard time with me getting shot in the shoulder, and if I told him that I was probably comatose (or worse, a vegetable) back in my own world, he might just lose it. As far as he knew, I had merely stepped into Narnia, and that was how I was going to keep it.

Looking at him, I casually said, "Well, you're certainly taking this remarkably well."

The thoughtful look on his face turned into a smile. "It is not the first time someone from another world has come to Narnia when it is in great need," he replied, reclining in his chair. "But I am rather surprised that Aslan would send you to us so soon after the Great Kings and Queens departed."

He gave me a puzzled look. "But why did you not tell me where you were from, or that Aslan had sent you?" he asked. There was no anger or hurt in his voice; just genuine curiosity.

I sighed, becoming rather tired of repeating my reasons for that. "I wanted to earn your friendship honestly, rather than have it handed to me. It didn't seem fair to be merely accepted by you and your court simply because of who sent me." I gave him an impish grin. "Besides, I'm merely a humble girl who likes to earn her way into things."

Caspian laughed and reached out to playfully tug at a loose lock of my hair. "_That_ you have done in plenty," he retorted, smiling as a servant came to take away our empty dishes and cups. "Well, now that you have thoroughly earned my trust and friendship, will you allow me to reward you, as is proper for a King to do with his friend?"

Oh, now _that_ was tempting, but not a good idea. Being inducted into the nobility would not make many people happy, even though they probably would feel that I earned it. However, I wasn't really the type of person who wanted to be a Lady or Duchess, nor did I want a big plot of land I'd have to rule over for the rest of my life.

But on the other hand, if he wanted to owe me…

I looked at him, all seriousness. "Instead of money or a title, I would ask a boon of you, sire," I said, my solemn expression catching his full attention. "It will be a great favor I ask of you at a later time, and one that I will hold you to grant when asked. Will you agree to this?"

Caspian stared at me for a moment, but nodded, not giving it a second thought. "When the time comes, if it is within my power, I will grant whatever it is you ask of me."

With those words spoken, we both relaxed, smiling at one another. We both had what we wanted –I had a favor in my pocket from my friend (which I would keep close at hand), and Caspian had the assurance that I would be able to request my own reward whenever I chose. It would be some time before I cashed that favor in, though –I liked keeping things like that in my back pocket, if only for an emergency.

Satisfied, we settled back and talked of anything that came to mind, though mostly of the journey back. I had no doubts that this trek was going to be a much happier and more pleasant one than the journey here to the desert. And if the people back in Narnia had their way, the celebration parties that were going to be thrown at the castle were going to be fantastic.

I wonder if I could manage to get out of going to them?

* * *

AN: That's the end of this story! Well, almost –there'll be an epilogue next, and then the second part of my _**Narnia**_ story set will up in a week or so. Thanks so much for reading, and please don't forget to review!


	16. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing related to _**The Chronicles of Narnia**_. That belongs to a bunch of other people, not me. Only original characters and plotlines are mine.

AN: Here's the end of the story! Next part will be up next week, no worries. Review?

**Epilogue**:

It didn't take me long to recover from my wound, and within three days of my waking up, I was allowed to rise from my bed and walk around. Not surprisingly, I was slightly shaky at first, but soon steadied on my feet. After proving to the healers (and Caspian) that I could walk the length and width of the tent without fainting or falling over, they gave permission for me to leave.

But first, with help from a female Faun, I was able to scrub myself clean in a smaller bathing tent behind the healers' large one. And thanks to the ever-courteous Caspian, who sent for a small bag of necessities for me, I had a clean change of clothes to get into, so that I was at least presentable when he escorted me out into the cool morning.

The minute I stepped outside, I knew something was up. The soldiers camping nearby turned and started _looking_ at me, as though I were something interesting or fascinating. A few had awed expressions, others amused, but all of them had '_respect_' written all over their faces.

Before I could say anything to Caspian, he had taken my arm and began directing me towards the pavilion that stood outside his own private tent, where I had often eaten with him and his retinue.

His sleeping quarters were plain enough (at least on the outside), but the pavilion was as grand as one could expect, for it was made from purple-and-gold material, with a good-sized wooden table in the center, with matching chairs on three sides. There other, smaller side tables for servants to put food platters, and two silver buckets in which bottles of wine could be chilled in ice, which was brought from nearby mountain tops by griffons.

Here, Caspian ordered me to sit while one of his retainers served us food and chilled beverages. I could still feel eyes on me, and did my best to ignore it, but Caspian could sense I was uncomfortable, and ordered that three sides of the pavilion tent be closed off. Of course, according to Narnian culture and etiquette, my being "alone" with the king was improper, at least in this case, so the side facing the campground was left open. With so many chaperones, it wouldn't be _too_ improper for me to dine with my friend.

The food was wonderful, and as always, there was wine –however, after my last disastrous indulgence in Narnian alcohol, I passed on it. When I had scraped up the last of the stewed rabbit and roasted root vegetables, I pushed aside the empty plate and sat back in my chair with a sigh.

"Better?" Caspian asked, smirking as I glared at him.

"You wouldn't be so smug if you had been eating nothing but soup for the past several days," I retorted, throwing my cloth napkin at him. "Just smelling the food cooking by the soldiers' tents made me want to cry."

Wadding up the napkin (which he had easily caught) in his hand, Caspian put it down on the table and took up his wine goblet. Before he could do or say anything in retaliation, I heard shouts of laughter from the soldiers outside the tent. Worried, I rose to my feet just as a large, furry form burst in, threw its forelegs on my shoulders, and proceeded to lick my face off.

"Fang, stop it!" I playfully cried, trying to keep him at bay. "I'm already cleaned up, thank you."

The sound of racing hooves drifted into the tent, and then Fang was being butted out of the way by Roan, who didn't _quite_ slobber all over me, but he did enough damage by trying to pull my nose off with his horsey lips.

Seated at the table, Caspian laughed as I tried to push both animals off of me. "As you can see, they were worried about you," he teased, taking a sip of wine. "They've been anxious about you, and were very upset about the healers not allowing them to visit."

I honestly didn't know whether to sigh and roll my eyes, or laugh at the whole thing. I ended up doing neither, and settled for soothing my friends' nerves, muttering how much I had missed them, and that I was as glad to see them as they were to see me.

After being assured of my good health and recovery, Fang settled down by my chair and practically ordered me to sit down and rest. Meanwhile, a servant came and rolled up the side of the pavilion so that Roan could graze next to it and still keep a sharp eye on me. It was annoying having two hovering nannies nearby, but they were my friends, so I resigned myself to it –at least for now. Lord knows what I'd have to endure on the long ride back to Narnia!

"So when do we depart for home?" I asked, reaching for my water cup.

Caspian finished his wine and held out his goblet for more to be poured by the male server hovering nearby. "I imagine that things should be ready in a few days," he said, nodding his thanks to the man, who bowed. "Everyone who was injured has been seen to, and most are nearly recovered. Perhaps three days, at the most."

I stood up, much to Fang and Roan's objections. "Then I'd better get packing," I said, dusting off my breeches. "I have laundry to do, as well as a dozen other things, and not enough time to do them. If you'll excuse me?"

At Caspian's nod, I briefly dipped my head in a bow and took off for my tent, frantically thinking of all that I needed to do before we headed off for home.

* * *

Upon our return to Archenland, King Nain welcomed us and his returning soldiers with a great banquet, and was more than thrilled at the news that the Calormen Empire was no longer a threat to his kingdom, or to Caspian's. There was much feasting and celebrating, which I heartily took part in only because no one expected me to wear a dress while I danced around the campfires, among the Centaurs, Fauns and Dwarfs at the parties.

For three days, we rested in safety in the areas around Anvard. When our stores were resupplied and our mounts eager for the journey North, we rode off, every last one of us in high spirits.

However, as we rode, something began to nag at the back of my mind. "Caspian, I must ask you something," I said quietly while urging Roan closer to his mount. "Before, why did you never ask about my family, or my life? You must have been curious, but why did you not say anything?"

He gave me a soft smile. "Given the tale you had spun for me at the time, and that you never mentioned them once in all of our conversations, I had thought that perhaps your family had died, and that you did not wish to speak of them, nor your life. I thought it might spare your feelings."

I smiled back. "That was very kind of you," I replied softly. "Thank you."

"Oh, don't thank me," Caspian said with a grin. "The curiosity was eating away at me, and it was only the presence of the Professor that kept me from intruding on your past."

Tilting his head to the side, he gave me an odd look. "And speaking of Professor Cornelius, have you…?"

I sighed. "Yes, I have been keeping notes," I said, rolling my eyes. "It's one of the first things I did after packing for our return back to Narnia. It doesn't make for much exciting reading, except for the battle, but I'm sure that will be enough for him. Long notes about our travel there and back don't seem very exciting."

"Do not forget about our time in Archenland," reminded Silvermane, who trotted to my right, on the other side of Fang. "Your mentor will wish to hear all of it from you."

The Centaur had chosen to become my constant guard (with Caspian's blessing, I suspected), and had stayed by my side ever since we began our journey. Between him, Fang, Roan, and Caspian (who was being more subtle about it), I was without a doubt the most protected person in Narnia, except for the King himself!

'_Well, it's only for a little while longer_,' I thought, holding back a sigh. '_Once we're back at the castle, things will calm down_.'

At least I hoped so…

* * *

Well, it wasn't so –or at least, it wasn't as calm and 'normal' as I wished it would be.

We arrived at the castle to a great celebration, and to be quite honest, I don't remember much of it. I know I slept a great deal, and spent a great deal of time with the Professor, as he tried to squeeze every detail that he could out of me about the whole thing. I did manage to meet up with Trumpkin and Reepicheep, as well as a few others I had made somewhat-friends with, but that was pretty much all I wanted to remember.

Sadly, there was one memorable event that I rather wished hadn't happened, or that I could forget about.

Once word got around that I had saved the King's life, the nobles of the court began asking questions, and one of them was whether or not the King had rewarded me for such a noble act. When they heard that he hadn't, many had demanded that I receive at least money, land, a title, or all three. Caspian heard all of them out, and did his best to ease their demands.

"Alandra does not desire any one of those things," he said, shocking them all. "I have offered her riches and titles, but she has refused them. She merely wishes to live a quiet, peaceful life, and that is all."

Many of them didn't believe him, of course, and insisted that I receive _something_, even if it was against my will. Those that believed Caspian's words only seemed to respect me even more, and they, in turn, also insisted that my 'noble heart' be rewarded with something, even if it was minor.

Finally, to pacify them, I was publicly acknowledged as the King's dear friend, and given a very generous allowance each month. There was a ceremony, where I was given an exquisite dagger and filigreed sheath on a fine gold chain belt, a symbol of Caspian's gratitude and a way for the nobles to see that I had been given at least a bit of a 'thank you.'

While the extra income was nice, the attention was unwelcome. People began bowing as I passed, and I frequently had to squish the urge to drag them back upright. Officially, I had no titles, but since I was now known as the King's friend, and someone who had saved his life, I guess everyone felt obliged to show their respect. It was very annoying.

Luckily, Professor Cornelius, who had some influence over other people, made it known that while I was close to the King, I was not to be treated any differently. Everyone thought it wonderful that I was so 'humble,' and did their best to do nothing more than bow their head slightly whenever I passed by. Since a head nod was better than a full bow or curtsey, this was much easier to live with.

And so, my second year in Narnia began…

* * *

AN: The end! Well, sort of, so keep a sharp eye open for the next update!


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